What Happened to Sector Z?
by penspot
Summary: There are a lot of questions around the DCFDTL...but the biggest is what happened those years ago when Father delightfulized them? Follow Ashley, David, Bruce, Lenny, and Ogie on the adventure that will lead them to their delightfulization. Origin story
1. I: The Seventh Age of the Kids Next Door

What Happened to Sector Z?

**A/N: It is the end of September and, as promised, here is the next KND fic. Because of the Kids Next Door movie Operation Z.E.R.O. every KND fan knows that Father used a delightfulization chamber to delightfulize Sector Z and so they became the Delightful Children from down the Lane, enemy to the Kids Next Door, primarily Sector V. But I want to know what was Sector Z like before that and what exactly did happen the moment their lives were changed forever.**

_Disclaimer: This may or may not have happened. In the movie, Numbuh Zero had a team behind him when freeing the kids from the tapioca factory. The silhouettes of this team looked very much like Sector Z, at least to me. So I don't own the DCFDTL, I don't own Sector Z, and I don't own the Kids Next Door.  
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><p>Chapter 1<br>The Seventh Age of the Kids Next Door

_It was in the time of the tyranny of the evil adult Grandfather when one kid and his book stood up for all of kid-kind. That day marked the start of the seventh age of the Kids Next Door, but there were still more secrets left to tell…_

David continued to push the machine-thingy-mabob to stir that disgusting senior delight, tapioca pudding. The lumps gurgled in a sickly way that would make your stomach churn, but he and his friends were used to that by now. They were tough, and so they secretly resisted.

It was Ashley's plan. Subtly, they would stick dirt in the pudding that adults would dine on later. It was a hope to get Grandfather sick enough to give them time to run. But he never got sick. He never gagged, and hope was starting to diminish.

Until that day.

Bruce stood up top, pouring a 3 tone sack of sugar-free pudding mix into the vat being stirred when he saw two shadows run out of the building.

"Psst, David."

The taller boy looked up and saw Bruce pointing to the far wall. David caught a glimpse of green light and then it vanished. The door had opened.

"What was that?"

"You mean 'who.' It was Grandfather's sons," answered Bruce.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, the scum. They leave and let us do all the work."

"Monty wouldn't do that," said Lenny from another position.

"Yeah, Monty hates Grandfather as much as we do," said Ogie.

"Monty had Ben with him. We all know how spineless he is. Even if Monty wouldn't run out on us, Ben would, or go tell Grandfather that they were able to get outside," sneered Bruce.

"Listen, Bruce. This may be an opportunity. We've never tried getting out of here, but now is our chance. If Monty and Benedict made it, then so can we," said Ashley.

"What do you suggest?" asked David.

Ashley smirked. "What we kids can do best. RUN!"

All five of them started sprinting toward the door when alarms started blaring. "Boys! Where Are You?" Grandfather's voice called out furiously.

"KEEP GOING!" shouted Ashley. Lenny reached the door first and was able to throw it aside.

"C'mon!"

"Almost There!"

"Boys!"

The kids ran hard and with one least effort, jumped out of the doorway. There was a tree not too far away that they ran over to it for safety. Ben was climbing down it looking nervous. When he caught sight of the others, he gulped and began to sweat.

"W-what are you guys doing out here? Oh, Pappy is going to be so sore."

"We're getting out of this dump. What about you?" Bruce said, poking the boy in the chest. Ben stumbled back when Monty came down, dressed in a type of make-shift armor and sporting dark, square sunglasses. He didn't give his brother a look.

"What are you wearing?" asked Ogie.

"It's some armor I found in the tree. You guys are never going to believe this. This tree has a secret spot in it and there's this book, and it has all types of instructions on how to fight adult tyranny and—"

"Fight adult tyranny? Sounds like my kind of book," said Bruce, tilting his hat.

"What's the plan?" David asked eagerly. Monty looked dumbfounded for a moment. He never really thought of a plan, just take down Grandfather.

"You don't have a plan?" Ashley asked.

"Give me a moment. I'll think of—wait a minute. There's a bunch of weapons and stuff in the tree. We can use that to blow-up the factories. And there's a vent just on the other side that would take us to the over-hand of the factory where Grandfather sneers at us. That would give us a great vantage point and—"

"Sounds good to me," said Lenny.

"Let's do it!"

As the plan was being discussed, Ben slipped away quietly, wanting nothing to do with his brother and the other kids. _They're going to fail and Pappy will take it out on me… oh_.

The kids went inside the tree, each finding a weapon. To Bruce, the carrot-num-chucks, Ashley: the umbrella sword, Ogie: knife and fork utensils, David: the eraser tipped spear, and Lenny: a pair of power-punching gloves. Monty picked up two 2X4 hand guns and straightened his glasses.

"We all know the plan. This isn't stupid, this is kids chance for freedom. We have more than zero chance, as long as we work together."

"YEAH!"

"Let's go!"

The team trotted across the dried lawn to the factory wall. Lenny, the scout, gave a thumbs up for the all clear. David used his spear to pull the vent cover off and allowed Ogie, Bruceie, and Monty in first. Ashley and Lenny came in next, followed by the cramped David.

"It's so small in here," David hissed.

"You're just too tall," Bruce shot back.

"We're here," said Monty, who kicked the next vent cover open. The overhang was empty. No Grandfather, no associates, no anyone. "It's all clear guys," Monty whispered back and climbed out of the vent. He walked out into the light while the rest remained in the shadows. Before taking action, Monty looked at the book of KND with a smile and put it in his back pocket before lifting his guns and motioning for his team to strike.

Monty himself jumped down and started blasting away at all the machinery. Ashley, Ogie, and Lenny proceeded to free the kids and get them out while David and Bruce helped tear everything apart. Two guards came up behind Monty, ready to tackle the dissenter when all of a sudden there was a loud thump and the two adults crumpled to the ground with dazed groans. Monty spun around to see a girl with dark red hair, almost on the verge of being purple, standing over his attackers with a large coal shovel in hand.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," she smiled.

"We're Saved!" a kid cried happily. Other kids started laughing and cheering while dancing in tapioca. Monty walked up to the huge furnace, the source of the factory's power. Pulling out two bombs, the kid threw them into the fire and caused the biggest explosion of the century. All of the kids ran out and watched the main factory and all the surrounding factories blow-up and crumble. Cheering and laughing, they exchanged hugs, finally free of adult tyranny.

"Good job!" Bruce congratulated Monty and shook hands.

"!" Everyone snapped around and saw Grandfather bellowing furiously with a bowl of tapioca in his hands. "To think my own son would rebel against my evil power!" He threw the bowl down to emphasis "power."

"I'm giving you just three seconds to go to your room, OR ELSE!" Grandfather lifted his energy swirling hands threateningly and started to slowly push the freed kids into a corner. Ashley and her crew took out their weapons and aimed, waiting for Monty's signal.

"Three!"

Monty looked around nervously.

"Two!"

His hand went to his other back pocket.

"One!"

"ZERO!" Monty shouted and pulled out a giant gun, blasting his father with the blue beam and decimating all of the darkness that covered him.

All that was left was a middle-aged man out cold on the pavement, not a memory to his name.

The loss of the tapioca factories was one that the adults were slowly recovering from, especially the elderly adults. Tapioca had made it's way as an invaluable resource to adult kind, but now with the destruction of the main factories and loss of labor, the economy dwindled. And so it remained until a smart young adult created the idea of a monkey doll of different colors… but that's another story.

Right now, the children laborers of the central tapioca factory were celebrating their victory with sarsaparilla and games. Brucey sat back with his mug, resting on a broken piece of mixing bowl. "Well, that was relatively simple."

"Too simple," said Ashley. "Are you sure Grandfather isn't going to be an issue?"

Monty shook his head and took a sip of his drink. "Nah, he'll wake up wondering what tie he's gonna wear tomorrow."

"So what's the plan?" asked David, who was leaning on his pool stick.

Pulling out the book and flipping through the pages, Monty answered in his faint English accent, "I'm not done yet. Grandfather may have been the largest threat, but kid's are still living under tyranny all across the world. We're gonna start the Kids Next Door again."

"Again? How many times has it been started and stopped in that book?" asked Lenny.

Monty flipped through and scanned a page. "Um… six times? This'll be the seventh."

"Can't keep a good thing down I guess," said Ogie.

"I could really use some help. I'll be moving back to London to live with my mum, so I'll start a tree-house there. You guys could help start one here."

"You live in London too?"

The group turned and Monty saw the red-haired girl who had helped him from before.

"It's you," he said in recognition. "You live in London?"

"Yes. I was visiting my aunt and uncle when I got trapped into working here like a bunch of other kids. I'm heading back home too."

"Excellent. We can start a… a… a what-do-you-call-it…" Monty flipped through the book again, "a sector in England." He looked at Ashley, David, Bruce, Lenny, and Ogie. "And you all could start a sector in America."

Ashley looked hesitantly at David. "That sounds great Monty… but we already have plans."

"Plans? What plans?"

David looked at the shorter boy seriously. "We've heard of some other things that Grandfather could do. Terrible powers that could turn a kid old."

Monty blanched. _How did they know_? The reaction wasn't unnoticed. Bruce looked at him with his intense stare.

"You know what we're talking about."

Monty looked down in... was it shame? "Yes."

"Well…" said Ashley, "that got us thinking: why couldn't we find something that would turn adults back into kids? Or at least keep kids at the age they are now."

"Like a fountain of youth or something?"

"Yeah… or something like that," said David.

"We're going on a mission so no kid will ever have to be an adult," said Bruce with pride, hitting his fist to his chest.

"But there are other kids here who would follow you," said Ogie, always trying to be comforting.

"Will I ever see you guys again?" asked Monty.

Ashley put a solacing hand on his shoulder. "Sure you will." She then pulled back and saluted Monty. "Kids all over are going to look to you… Numbuh Zero."

The others saluted as well, along with the red-haired girl and a bunch of other freed factory kids.

And so began the seventh age of the Kids Next Door, one of _the_ most successful ages full of fun, adventure, friendship, and cracker-jack stories. Numbuh Zero started Sector E but later abdicated to Numbuh 999 so that he could help other sectors start all over the world. Following the Book of KND to the letter, kids were able to recreate, improve and invent their own 2x4 technology.

This would be a happy ending to this story, but our focus is not on the success of the Kids Next Door. Our story is what happened to Sector Z.

**A/N: So whatcha think?  
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	2. I: Our Quest

**A/N: Hey everybody. Sorry this update took so long. School... work... school... more work, you get the point. Anyway, thank you to the first reviewers for your opinions on this next fic. I hope it turns out as good as the last one. [If you can tell, I'm still not used to so many reviewers. :3]**

**MsAngelAdorer: Yeah... their names came from the wiki site before it was edited. With David and Lenny set in stone, I kinda just went with the wiki. The blonde girl to me looks like an Ashley, I would guess Bruce or Ricky for the short blond boy, and Ogie?... um... sure...**

**yougotburned: Thank you! :D I shall.**

**MidniteCurse4Eternity: Yay! Thanks!**

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><p>What Happened to Sector Z?<p>

Chapter 2  
>Our Quest<p>

_Transmission Recording…_

_Status Report: It's been seven months since my team and I have started our search for what we have labeled "the cure." Hearing about Grandfather's powers and if released could spread… we think of him more as a disease. If we kids want to stay kids, we need help._

_We've been able to isolate different myths about "forever youth" and have spread out all over trying to investigate them. David was sent to Florida for the Agua de Vida; Ogie to France; Bruce to China; Lenny to Africa; and I to the Arctic. We have no idea what we are looking for, but I'm sure we will know when we find it._

Ashley stopped recording and rubbed her hands from under her gloves. She had been cooped up in her makeshift lab carved out under the ice. Around her desk were stacks of books: books of legends, books of science and biology…

_If only we could find something,_ she thought irritably while continuing to rub her hands. It was in the late winter and spring would soon be coming, by that time she had to leave or risk her lab melting on top of her.

She continued reading about the Arctic. The north and south poles were known for having the cleanest, purest fresh water in the world. Some rumored there was a spring that could lengthen a person's life span.

Suddenly the radio crackled to life. "Ashley… come in Ashley…" It was David.

"Yeah David?"

"… we fou—" the static covered his words, much to the blonde leader's annoyance.

"Just a minute David, I've lost you." She twisted the dial of the make-shift radio and hit the top.

"Can you hear… now?"

"Better. So what were you saying?"

"I was saying we may have found something."

"In Florida?" she asked excitedly.

"No… Cleveland."

"What?"

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><p>Ashley, David, Bruce, Lenny, and Ogie all were seated at a little soda bar, mugs of sarsaparilla in front of each. While they had been away, the adults decided to pick up their losses and finally being their oppression anew, starting by outlawing pop for kids under thirteen. The soda-prohibition led to a number of kid speakeasies, this one the newest of many.<p>

"Can I get you guys anything else?" asked the bar-tender.

"Nah, we're all set," said Lenny.

"Nice place you've got here," commented Ogie.

"Yeah… I just gotta come up with a name."

"How about naming it after me?" Bruce piped, puffing out his chest.

The bartender rolled his eyes. "Yeah… I'll think about that," he said sarcastically before walking away.

The others gave Bruce looks, making him shrug. "What?"

"Smooth," said David.

"Alright guys, let's get down to business. What did you guys find?" interjected Ashley.

"It's some weird stuff," said Lenny. "There is a local legend about a source that has some kind of element to keep one young forever."

"Like a fountain of youth," said Bruce.

"It's a legend just like the others," Ashley commented disappointingly.

"That's what I thought too, until I did some research," said David. "There is a student at the elementary school who has gone to several different home rooms over the years."

"They probably just got held back."

"270 times?" David handed his leader the transcripts he dug up. "They go in a pattern. By the time a teacher retires, they're back."

"But how?" asked Ashley.

"That's what we want to ask him."

"_Him_?"

"Yeah, him. The kid's name is Leroy."

"Well, let's go find him."

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><p>Leroy sat at the new school library. Hard to believe that only one hundred years ago it was built, but time was irrelative. Sneaking a handful of Snap Stone candy in his mouth, he continued reading the comic book in his hand.<p>

"Hey, kid." The darker boy glanced up and saw five kids seated in front of him. Not wanting to show his surprise about how they got there so fast, he held out a Snap Stone.

"Want some?" he offered. The blonde girl in the center raised her hand to decline.

"Nah. We actually want to talk."

Leroy pushed up his glasses. "About what?"

"Is there somewhere more private we can talk?" she asked. He glanced around the library. There wasn't a soul in sight except for the old crone of a librarian.

"You probably won't get better than this," he gestured to the empty room.

"Fair enough," she sighed and then leaned in closer. "We want to talk about your secret."

Inside his heart began to pound, but he looked cool and collected on the outside. "My secret?" he asked innocently. "What secret?"

"The secret to how you've been able to be in the same school for over 200 years," said the tall boy next to the blonde. He laid out a manila folder marked _Leroy_.

"Must be a filing mistake. You know adults… always messing up the paperwork. A wonder they can grade anything."

"Quit fooling around!" hissed the shorter blond boy. "This is serious."

"So am I," answered Leroy. "Why do you want to know about it?"

"So you admit there is a secret," said the blonde girl. Leroy frowned a little, realizing his mistake.

"I can neither admit or deny that."

"So if there is a secret… what is it?" asked another boy towards the back.

"First you have to answer my question. _Why_ do you want to know?"

The center blonde girl looked at each of her companions and then back at Leroy. Something was driving these kids, he thought. They needed something.

"You remember Grandfather?"

"Who doesn't? Worst time to ever be a kid. I almost considered…" Leroy looked down at his hands. "Never mind. Get on with it."

"Well we know about his ability to age-ify kids into mindless adults. It never really happened because he didn't have to. We kids gave in too easily. But what if another adult can do that? What if something like Grandfather happens again?" she asked.

"What's your point?"

"The point _is_ you have the answer to prevent that from happening. You've been a kid for over 200 years. You don't have to grow up! What if kids had that choice? We would never have to grow up and become stupid adults."

He had to admit that her speech was passionate and her ideas not too bad, but they had no idea what such vision cost.

"You don't know what you're saying," he said slowly.

"Then enlighten us," challenged the aggressive blond boy.

Leroy shot him a glare and then looked at each of them while explaining, "It all sounds good, but you have no idea what it would really be like to always live. Being a kid is great. It's just how long that's the problem."

"So help us. We want to find a way where kids can stay kids. We don't want to be adults," said the taller boy.

Leroy shook his head. "No. It's already my burden. No one else will ever be troubled with the fountain."

"Fountain?" asked the shorter girl.

Leroy flinched. Another slip up!

"So you have a fountain of youth," concluded the blonde leader.

"What of it?" he hissed. "You'll never know where it is or how it works. Only two people do, and neither of us are willing to tell."

"Why not?" asked the tall boy.

"Because eternal youth isn't all its cracked up to be! And there are… side effects."

"Side effects?" asked the blonde girl.

"Yeah. I'm a kid who has gone to school 270 times. Why stay if I've already learned everything I can here?"

"You're a nerd?" the short blond boy guessed. Leroy adjusted his glasses and glared daggers down at him.

"No! Once you drink from the fountain, you can't stop. The first years fly by and then you realize you're over a hundred and suddenly if you want to live, you have to continue drinking. The youth isn't permanent. I and my cousin can never leave the school walls and neither can anyone else who uses the fountain."

The others were silent. David squinted down at his hands, thinking hard of a solution. It was a temporary cure to adulthood, but they weren't looking for temporary. They needed permanent.

"What if you gave us a sample of the fountain?" David started slowly. Leroy opened his mouth to speak, but David kept going on. "Just to look at. If we could use it to come up with a more permanent solution… you could be a kid without the gruesome side effects."

Leroy closed his mouth and looked off to the distance in thought. The idea did appeal to him. He could finally go to the playground without having to worry about getting a daily spritz or turning to dust.

"And you could do this?" he asked doubtfully.

"We can try," Ashley smirked.

Leroy nodded and leaned back in his seat. "I can't tell you the fountain's location. Just meet me by the girl's bathroom in an hour." Spitting in his hand, he reached it out and was equally received by Ashley's hand to seal the agreement.


	3. I: Maybe Answers

**A/N: And here is the latest update: chapter 3. This is a shortie chapter, but it was necessary and needed. :D**

**MidniteCurse4Eternity: Thank you for your review. The next chapter is your prize from the contest.**

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><p>What Happened to Sector Z?<p>

Chapter 3  
>Maybe Answers<p>

Lenny was standing on one foot, juggling a yo-yo, a baseball, and Ogie's glasses. Ogie watched as best she could from her seat on the floor and clapped at her friend's feat.

Bruce leaned side-ways against the wall while David paced and Ashley continuously glanced at each direction of the hall. It had been an hour as their contact had said, and this was the depth of their boredom. They may be geniuses, but they were still only kids.

"Where is the geek?" Bruce asked impatiently.

"He'll be here."

"Why don't we just find this thing ourselves? We know its here and the school ain't that big," the smaller blond complained. Ashley shot him a look.

"We honor our word," she said sternly. Bruce didn't argue but groaned and turned to rest on his other shoulder.

David stopped pacing and stood next to their leader. "What's the plan?" he asked, a phrase that had soon become his personal theme.

"For now we wait. But this is killing me."

"He does seem to like to take his time. It's ten after," the second-in-command motioned to the clock. Ashley looked up and then back down to the floor.

"We'll wait another few minutes. If he doesn't show… I guess we'll have to find some other way."

"Patience is a virtue Miss Ashley," said a nasally voice from behind. The team spun around to face Leroy standing in the door of the girl's bathroom.

"What are you doing in there?" asked Ogie disgustedly.

"Oh get over it. This bathroom has been abandoned for years," Leroy said exasperated before digging in his pocket.

"But—"

"Look, do you want this or not? I'm still not sure I can trust you with this, so don't test me." The darker boy pushed his thick glasses back up to the bridge of his nose and pulled out a small beaker he snitched from the science lab. In the beaker was water with such a blue tint, it almost seemed to glow.

David reached for it, but the beaker was recoiled back towards Leroy. "And you'll keep your end of the deal." It was more of a demand than a question. "For testing purposes only and the secret remains so under pain of suffering."

"We promise," Ashley said anxiously. After a moment or two of looking them over and at the beaker, Leroy conceded and handed it over to David.

"Thank you Leroy," said Ashley. "This may be just the thing kid-kind needs."

"Yeah… _if_ you can figure out how to make the effects permanent."

"We'll do our best," said Ashley, eyeing the beaker with awe. Leroy mumbled something under his breath and walked off. Bruce walked up to it and eyeballed it skeptically.

"It doesn't look so special."

"It's pretty," Ogie defended. "Look at that blue."

"Well what are we waiting for?" asked Lenny.

David chuckled nervously. "Um… well… I kinda don't have what we need to actually test this stuff."

"What?" shouted Bruce. "We waited for nothing? I could've given that dweeb a wedgie by now!"

"Chill Bruce," said Ashley. "We may not have what we need, but we know someone who does."

Lenny, Ogie, and Bruce exchanged looks. "Monty!"


	4. I: To the Moon

What Happened to Sector Z?

**A/N: Ello everyone! I apologize for the shortie chapter before, but... well my excuse is back there. Hakuna Matata then. On with the next chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 4<br>To the Moon

The one glitch in their plan was being able to find Monty. They had heard about the growth of the new Kids Next Door and even seen a couple of teams in action, but their leader had remained conveniently untraceable.

"Maybe he's here," Lenny suggested.

"No. Remember, he said he was going to live with his mom in England," Ashley reminded him. The group had been walking down a brand new sidewalk in their neighborhood. At least the adults could do something right.

"Well there's gotta be one of those… what do they call em' sectors around here. They could help," said Bruce.

"Um guys?" asked David.

"Yeah, but they hang out in treehouses," said Ogie. "There's gotta be a bijillion treehouses in Clevland."

"Guys?"

"We'll have to do a search through the whole neighborhood," said Ashley.

"GUYS!"

"What?" they asked in unison, turning to David. He pointed straight ahead of him and up. There in a rather old tree was a giant treehouse. Bits of it were under construction, but it was the most amazing thing they've ever seen. Part of it had the stern on a boat sticking up and another had big white letters reading KN. The D was still being finished.

"Whoa!" Bruce hollered while Lenny whistled lowly.

"It's so…" started Ogie.

"Big," Ashley finished.

They walked up to the trunk of the tree. It looked so familiar, but from where? "Isn't this the tree we found Monty and Ben at?" asked David, rubbing his hand up and down the bark.

"Yeah. It makes sense to have a KND sector here. This place will be legendary," said Lenny.

"How do we get their attention?" asked Ogie. "Do we knock on the door?"

As if to answer her question, Bruce leaned back, cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "HEY! YOU UP THERE! ANYBODY HOME?"

"Bruce," Ashley scolded. Just then a head stuck out over a balcony.

"Who is it?" they called. "What's your business?"

"We're looking for someone and we need the KND's help."

"Numbuh 747, go get Numbuh 117 and tell her we've got a priority 1!" one of them called to another operative.

Bruce cocked an eyebrow. "Priority 1?"

David hushed him, earning an adamant glare from the shorter boy. Suddenly a rope ladder was lowered and four kids dressed in plastic and duct tape slid down. Numbuh 117, they knew it was her because it was written on her make-shift helmet, stepped forward.

"You guys say you're looking for someone?" she asked.

"Yeah. Numbuh 0."

The name caused hushed whispers from the other three operatives. Numbuh 117 lifted up her goggles and looked at each of the strangers hard.

"I know you guys from somewhere."

"Gee, I wonder why," Bruce muttered sarcastically. "Seeing as we saved your sorry butts from Grandfather."

"Bruce," Ashley sighed impatiently.

Numbuh 117 smiled. "That's right! I knew I recognized you. You really saved our butts back there. Of course we'd like to help you, but as far as I know Numbuh 0 is at KND headquarters."

"And where exactly is that?" asked Lenny.

The leader smirked and pointed upward. In the blue sky, the outline of the moon shone just faintly. Ashley, David, Bruce, Lenny, and Ogie all gaped in disbelief.

"He's up on the moon?" asked Ogie.

"Yep. Never underestimate us kids. We beat the adults to the moon."

"No way!" said Bruce.

"That's so groovy!" said David.

"So how do we get there?" asked Ashley.

"Well… that's where it get's messy. The tech is still new and the base is still under construction. I don't think we could get you up there."

"What do we have to do? Build our own rocket ship?" asked Bruce.

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><p>"I had to ask," he complained. He now sat in a rickety contraption of wood and duct tape, regretting ever opening his mouth. Numbuh 117 and her sector had been more than willing to help build a transport for the wayward wanderers. The transport looked more like an oversized barrel with rockets strapped to the sides. Whether it actually worked or not was a different matter.<p>

"Do we actually have to fly in this hunk of junk?" Bruce whined.

"That depends. How bad do you need to see Numbuh 0?"

"Bad," answered Ashley, shooting a silencing look at her blond friend.

"This is so exciting," Ogie whispered. Lenny looked at her curiously, taking in her shining eyes behind the dark rimmed glasses and her trembling hands.

"What's so special about the possibility of getting killed?" snorted Bruce.

"Well I've never been to the moon before," she smiled, containing an excited giggle.

"I need to go over some stuff with you guys," said Numbuh 117. "You all have your helmets," she indicated the giant make-shift fishbowls encasing each kid's head. "And each helmet is hooked up to an oxygen tank. Now in the case of an accident, you will want to either save the oxygen tank from blowing up or get away from the tank as quick as possible and pull your parachutes."

"What's the chance of an accident?" asked David.

Numbuh 117 cleared her throat and looked at them nervously. "Uh… good luck. Say hi to Numbuh 0 for me." She stepped back and closed the door before any of them could argue or change their minds.

"Swell," Lenny muttered.

"Well that was encouraging," said David sarcastically.

"Come on guys, we need to focus," said Ashley. She looked at the controls in front of her. "What am I supposed to do Numbuh 117.

The radio on the dash crackled to life. "Ashley? Is this thing on? Can you hear me?"

"We hear you 117."

"Good. What you need to do is check and make sure everything is secure and ready for launch. We will count down and then start the takeoff from our treehouse."

"Everything looks good," said David.

"We're all set Numbuh 117."

"Neat-o! Alrighty then… countdown to liftoff in 5… 4…" she began. Bruce clenched the sides of his seat. Ogie was bouncing up and down withe anticipation and Lenny held on at a metal bar for support. "…2…1… hit it Numbuh 747!"

The rockets roared to life and, like a gunshot, the barrel flew upwards like a bottle rocket. David was looking outside a porthole and saw the earth shrink from under them.

"It's working! It's working!" he cheered. Not five seconds after he said that, the engines sputtered and died.

"NO!" shouted Ashley.

"Hold on to your underpants!" yelled Lenny.

"David, what do we do?" Ashley asked in a panic. David was looking at the controls: bottle caps, chewed gum and springs.

"Guys? H…llo? Are… there?" Numbuh 117's voice asked repeatedly over the speaker until it died too.

"David!"

David closed his eyes, sucked in a breath and began pressing random controls on the board. The rockets clicked, trying to start again as the barrel ship plummeted to the earth. _C'mon… c'mon work…_

The rockets clicked again and the finally roared with renewed vigor, the rocket going faster than it had originally at take-off.

"WAAAHOO!" they screamed, as though on a rollercoaster.

The ship broke through the atmosphere and continued hurtling into space towards the moon. Everyone pressed their faces against the porthole windows. They watched in awe as the moon grew closer, bigger, and brighter. As it did, a speck towards the top began to grow darker and more defined. It was a… tree?

"Is that a tree?" asked Bruce.

"It sure looks like it," said Lenny.

"I think it's pretty. Look at those bubbles. They look like balloons," Ogie sighed.

"A tree house on the moon. I never would've guessed—" David said sarcastically.

"Alright everyone, we'll have plenty of time to see it. Right now we need to land this puppy," said Ashley.

David went back to his seat as the 'pilot' but soon froze. "Um… Ashley?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not sure if we have brakes."

"No brakes?" shouted Bruce. "Those dumb KNDorks screwed up again!"

"Chill Bruce!" Ashley barked before turning back to David. "Can you still land?"

"It'll be rough."

"Rough is better than nothing. Go for it!"

"Hang tight everybody!" David called. Every free hand grabbed on to something, whether it was a nook in the hull or a spring out of the seat. The moon came closer and closer as the ship gained speed. Though the moon didn't have a great amount of gravity, there was enough to cause a jerking impact as wood, metal, and duct tape collided with the rock.

The crash was an out-of-body experience. Ashley saw her childhood flash before her in a matter of seconds while simultaneously feeling the ship hit, flip over and float a little then hit again and back. It was one of those '_what the crud_?' moments where though the situation should have felt scary, something odd throws the whole experience off. The ship finally slid to a stop and the lights went out.

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><p><strong>AN2: Hah! The insult wasn't because of delightfulization! :D Eh... their minds will change... eventually.**


	5. I: Numbuh Zero

**A/N: Hey everybody who I adore... *clears throat*... yeah, sorry this hasn't been updated in a while. You know, stuff happens. *cough* You want the complete and honest truth? Lack of inspiration and a severe case of Writer's block. And another fanfiction... so anyway. To my reviewers for chapter four:**

**MidniteCurseforEternity: I'm glad you liked her. She'll show up again in future chapters.**

**You'veGotAFriendInMe: Thank you.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>What Happened to Sector Z?<span>**

Chapter 5  
>Numbuh Zero<p>

_Thump thump…_

"_Sir!_"_ We found them!_"

_Thump thump…_

"_Wow they're beat up."_

_Thump thump…_

"_Get them to sick bay."_

_Thump thump…_

"_You're going to be alright."_

_Thump thump…_

David was the first to wake up. His eyes blinked open, squinting in the hazy light.

"Ugh… where am I?"

"Kids Next Door Global Command Hospital," answered a girl's voice. "You and your team have been knocked out for hours."

David turned his head to her and immediately regretted it. His senses seemed to have woken up all of a sudden as pain throbbed throughout his body.

"You may not want to move yet. You all took a hard landing," she said. The girl was short and blonde with a white hat and matching dress. A red cross was emblazoned on the front pocket with white painted letter: KND.

"Yeah… I can tell," he muttered dryly and sunk back into his pillow. "We didn't have any brakes."

"Excuse me?"

"We didn't have any brakes. We crashed because of the stupid brakes…" he muttered.

"Um, ok? How about you rest and I'll check up on you later."

"Yeah… sure… but what about my friends? We need to see Numbuh Zero."

"They're still asleep. And as for seeing Numbuh 0… maybe when you're all better," she answered and then slipped out through the door. David fell back into his pillow and groaned. _Well this wasn't part of the plan._

The group of friends began to wake up one by one. When his mind was clearer, David waited and greeted each of his teammates as their eyes opened.

"W-what happened?" whispered Ashley.

"We crashed. I think we're in the Kids Next Door treehouse thing."

"When I get my hands on that Numbuh 782—" Bruce began to rant but Lenny cut him off.

"She probably didn't know. It was an accident."

"We almost died!" argued Bruce.

"That seems to be happening a lot lately," Ogie muttered.

"Ssh, someone's coming," hissed Ashley. They all stopped talking and looked at the door, waiting for the person to enter. The door opened, but the person standing there was hidden by the poor lighting.

"Who are you?" Bruce demanded.

"Who's asking?" the kid demanded back. He was a boy and his accent was undoubtedly English. Ashley stood up and cleared her throat.

"My name's Ashley. My friends and I are looking for Numbuh 0."

"Zero eh? What would you be wanting with him?" the boy asked.

"We can't say," she answered. "It is a private matter."

"Well then… I'm afraid I can't let you see him."

"And why not?" asked David.

"Zero's a busy kid. He can't just drop everything and have a friendly chat over a cup o' tea."

"Listen bud," Bruce growled, "Numbuh Zero owes us one. We helped him save all the kids of the world from Grandfather and blew up the tapioca factories. Now let us see him or I'll—"

"Bruce, there's no need to get angry," whispered Ogie. "He's just doing his job."

"We don't know that. I bet the punk is only fooling with us."

Ashley rolled her eyes and looked back at the kid. "Please take us to Numbuh Zero. It's important."

"What are you willing to offer?"

"Offer?" she repeated.

"Yeah. What'll you do for the KND if I let you talk to Numbuh 0?"

"Who cares? We'll do whatever! Anything! We just need to see him. It is urgent!"

The boy paused for a moment before before chuckling. Then his chuckled grew into laughter until it reached full out hysterics.

The group of kids exchanged glances, each thinking the same thing. This kid was nuts.

"What's so funny?" demanded Bruce.

The kid sighed and tried calm down, wiping tears from his eyes. "Oh, you are Bruce. All of you! The looks on your faces! Priceless!"

"How does he know your name?" Lenny whispered to Bruce.

"Who are you?" asked David. This boy hooted again before stepping into clearer light. His build was stocky, his brown hair wild, and a pair of dark sunglasses shielded his eyes.

"You can't recognize your friend? It hasn't been _that_ long has it, ay what?"

"MONTY!" they all shouted, fear and suspicion immediately replaced with recognition and relief. The group ran to him and wrapped him in a big hug as though they hadn't seen him in years.

Bruce punched him in the arm. "Don't ever do that again!"

Monty rubbed the soar spot and smirked. "Good punch. That would be useful."

"You had us so paranoid. We didn't know who we could trust around here," said Ogie.

Monty shook his head. "Ah, you can talk to anyone here. This is the Kids Next Door! We're the good guys." His thumb hooked towards his chest, puffed out in pride.

When the pleasantries were finished, Monty put on a more serious look. "So, what's the rub? You wouldn't be coming to me if you didn't need something serious."

The small group exchanged looks. "Is it ok to talk in here? No listening ears?" asked David.

As though thinking hard, Monty looked suspiciously at the door and then back at the others. "Is it _that_ serious?"

"Yes," nodded Ashley. Monty nodded as well before walking over to a door on the opposite side of the ward.

"This way," he beckoned and walked through the doorway. The others followed, all of them silent with eyes fixed on Numbuh Zero.

Through the door was a dark little hallway with just a few dim lights embedded in the top. It was like sneaking through a tunnel.

"So where're we going?" asked Lenny.

"Sooper top secret part of the KND. Only the Supreme leader and trusted staff know where it is."

Ashley smirked. "Let me guess, you're the Supreme Leader?"

"Right-o." Monty opened up a panel that activated a door with triggered automatic lights leading down a hallways to another riveted door. But the door didn't open. Instead the floor did and the group all fell down to a slide, circling round and round and round until they reached a dimly lit room full of gadgets and gizmos and toys and guns.

Bruce's eyes widened in awe. "Cool!"

Monty beamed proudly. "Welcome to the Super Duper Tree House Chamber of Coolness. It's based off of the actual Tree House of Coolness back on Earth."

"You sure have been busy, Monty," David commented while poking a long rifle made out of soup cans.

"C'mon. Pull up a chair and then we'll talk," he beckoned for them to join him around a table.

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><p><strong>AN: So this fic is still alive if not on life support. More chapters will be coming your way so stay tuned. Meanwhile, because you all are so kind and generous with your time, leave a review. It's easy, just click the BIG BLUE BUTTON. This is a BIG BUTTON you can actually push! Abuse that power! ;D**


	6. I: The Proposal

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews: numbuh435sporitsong, Erica Cartman forever, The Animanga Girl, and MidniteCurse4Eternity! You guys are amazing!**

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

Chapter 6 The Proposal

"So what can the KND do for you guys?" Monty asked, getting straight to business.

The group all looked at Ashley to be their spokesgirl. She rolled her eyes before bringing them back to Monty.

"We have a proposition based on some new facts we discovered all over the world."

"Facts?" Monty asked, curiously.

"Well remember when Grandfather had taken over and you hit him with that ray to make him forget?"

"Yeah. It's a decommissioning device. It's supposed to be used on operatives once they've become teenagers so that KND secrets will remain secret. It's in the book of KND."

"But before that, when Grandfather was in charge. We've heard that Grandfather had a power that could turn kids into ugly old adults," said David.

Monty blanched. "H-how do you know about that?"

"Rumors… eyewitness accounts," said Lenny.

"And if he ever used that power, it could spread like a disease right?" asked Ogie.

Monty nodded his head slowly. He had seen his father use such a power and it had spread, but only to a select few. He had made sure the KND hunted those few down and wiped their memories. Now they were harmless and living in an Old Folks home.

"We need some way to counter that power," said Ashley.

"Counter it? Why? Grandfather is harmless and so are the people he infected," said Monty.

"But don't you see Monty? Adulthood in itself is a disease," said David. "Grandfather just had a more concentrated dose of it."

"A disease?"

"As a kid we're all fine. We can usually get along with one another, we have fun, there aren't any worries," said Lenny.

"But as you get older and older, things change and get ugly," added Bruce.

"Adults don't feel good, they have a ton of worries and they look different. It's like getting sick," Lenny finished.

Monty nodded his head as they explained their point.

"But we think we've found a cure."

"A cure for adulthood?" he asked.

Ashley nodded and held out the box they had which contained the vial of pure youth water. "In this box is the secret. But we don't want to tell anyone in case it raises hopes and we mess up."

"Kids are all about hope," said Monty. "Why not announce it?"

"Because all hope will be dashed if we fail," David pointed out. "Then what would happen to kids? They might actually want to _be_ adults."

"I see your point."

"We were hoping that the KND could help us. You know, give us a place to work so we can figure this cure out," said Ashley.

Monty sat back in his chair, chin resting on his finger in thought, his figure rocking back and forth on the hind legs of the chair. After a few seconds of pondering, the Soopreme Leader stood up and clapped his hands.

"Sounds brilliant! If you lot do come up with a cure, it'll be the boost we kids need in this world."

"You'll help?" asked Ogie.

"Help? Of course I'll help. I'll do even better than that. You all can have your own sector, your own team and tree house if you want."

"You mean join the Kids Next Door?" asked Ashley.

"Why not? It would give you complete access to our 2x4 technology, clearance to and from the Moon Base plus any secluded area of your choosing."

The five kids exchanged glances, nodding heads and communicating silently before Ashley stood up and nodded.

"We would be honored to join the Kids Next Door."

Monty smiled. "Jolly good. Of course you'll have to go through the cadet training and initiation, but that'll be simple. I'll make sure you all have a sector of your own. We'll call you… Sector Z."

"Z?" Bruce scoffed. "What, all the other letters were taken?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Monty laughed. "And you want your real mission to be secret, right?"

"Yes?" said David, unsure.

"Alright, but to make this sector seem real, you may have to go on missions and stuff. Reconnaissance… battling adult tyranny… agreed?"

"Agreed," the five answered in unison.

Monty stuck out his hand. "Welcome to the Kids Next Door, Sector Z."

They each shook his hand, feeling like things were finally starting to look up.

"So where exactly is this cadet training?" asked Bruce.

"In the Arctic."

"THE ARCTIC?"


	7. I: Induction

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: As you guys can probably tell by now, I'm going back and forth between two fanfictions. Unfortunately I've been working on my SH fic more than this one so it's going to probably be a week or two before this gets updated again. I just need time to write a few chapters and get back up to speed. I WILL FINISH this.**

**Thank you for the reviews from: Anne Onymous-Persson, White5 (wow! no one has ever told me that before. Thank you), Eric Cartman forever, numbuh435spiritsong, and MidniteCurse4Eternity (Another special surprise for you. ;D)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own KND... enough said.**

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><p><span>Chapter 7<span> Induction

_KND Arctic Base 1400 hours_

Numbuh 0 proudly walked up the steps to the makeshift wooden podium. He grasped the sides of it with one hand and adjusted his glasses with the other. Clearing his throat, he looked up with a smirk.

"KIDS NEXT DOOR RULES!"

"KIDS NEXT DOOR RULES, SIR!" the hundred or so kids seated in the Arctic Base Hall shouted back with fist pumps.

"Welcome operatives from every sector so far," he said and then turned to the other kids standing behind him, "and welcome our first round of graduating cadets of the new age of Kids Next Door. You and more that will come after you will build this new age and what a jolly good show it will be!"

More applause. "Inducting each new member into the Kids Next Door is an honor and a privilege earned by the most dedicated kids to our cause from around the world! From here, some of you will join Sectors, be assigned to the Moon Base, or even start your own sectors." As he said the last sentence his eyes focused on the group of five standing at attention to the right.

"And so," he started to conclude, "I have every confidence in you all. As I call out your name, please step forward and sign your name in the book of KND!" From stage left, an operative walked toward the podium with the book of KND resting on a pillow. The operative stood to the side of the podium while Numbuh 0 opened it and flipped to a blank page.

"The book of KND holds the stories of countless Kids Next Door operatives from the days if old. Now it is your turn." He turned back to the cadets and winked, the majority of them sighing in relief and standing a little taller.

"Kendal."

A red haired girl dressed in a frilly blue top stepped forward and signed her name. "What will your numbuh be?" asked Numbuh 0.

"Um… Numbuh 8.11, Numbuh 0, sir."

"Welcome to the Kids Next Door Numbuh 8.11. You'll lead the new Sector N in Nevada USA."

She smiled, shook hand with Numbuh 0 and went to sit down amongst the other KND operatives.

"Roy!"

The boy named Roy came up and signed the book. "My numbuh will be 40, sir."

"Numbuh 40, you'll be Sector N's 2x4 officer."

Numbuh 40 saluted, shook Numbuh 0's hand and went to join Numbuh 8.11. That was how the rest of the ceremony went when they finally reached the last cadets on the right.

"Ashley."

Ashley stepped forward, signed her name in the book and looked at Numbuh 0. "I request to be Numbuh 0.1, sir."

"You'll be the leader of the new Sector Z, Numbuh 0.1"

She nodded and shook Numbuh 0's hand before sitting down. "David," the Soopreme Leader called next.

The taller kid stepped forward, his beret resting lazily on his brown hair, and signed the book. "I request to be Numbuh 0.2."

"You'll be second in command Numbuh 0.2 and tactical officer. Think you can handle it?"

Numbuh 0.2 smirked and held out his hand. Numbuh 0 high fived it. "Yes, sir," David said before sitting with Numbuh 0.1."

"Bruce."

Bruce walked up, a contrasting difference from David. Numbuh 0 high fived him as well before asking, "What numbuh do you want?"

"Numbuh 0.3, sir."

"0.3, you'll be Sector Z's hand to hand combat operative."

"Yes, sir."

Lenny was next. "Numbuh 0.4, sir."

"Numbuh 0.4, you'll be stealth operations and scout operative."

Lenny smiled and nodded before taking a seat. Ogie was the last to walk up in front of Numbuh 0. She saluted.

"Requesting the numbuh 0.5, Numbuh 0, sir."

"Numbuh 0.5, you'll be snacks director."

Ogie smiled contently, and rubbed her tummy. "Sound yummy."

Numbuh 0.5 sat down with the rest of her team as Numbuh 0 turned back to the podium. "Kids Next Door! I have the honor to give you your new operatives!"

The kids among the seats stood up and cheered for their new teammates. The operative who brought the book of KND stepped forward and shot his fist in the air.

"Kids Next Door! DISMISSED!"

"KIDS NEXT DOOR RULES!" the kids shouted in reply.

Monty shook hands with the new Sector Z members. "Congrats."

"Thanks, Numbuh 0," Ashley smiled and gave him a hug. Bruce rolled his eyes before face-palming himself at the ooginess.

"So, when do we get started?"

"While you all were going through cadet training, I took the liberty of getting your treehouse all set up. It's in an undisclosed location in the USA," Numbuh 0 pointed to the map hanging on his office wall. "You should have plenty of peace and quiet there."

"Sweet! When do we head out?" Lenny asked.

"Whenever you guys are ready. There's a transport waiting for you in the hangar."

"Thanks, man," said David.

"Aw, don't mention it. I'll see you all soon enough." Monty stood at attention and saluted the new team. "Dismissed."

"Sir!" Sector Z saluted and left with their last goodbyes. Sector Z walked through the halls of the newly constructed Arctic Base for the last time.

"You know, even though I froze my butt off, this place wasn't too bad," said Bruce.

"Wow, what an un-Bruce-like thing to say," Ogie teased.

Bruce scowled, but knew better than to hit a girl, especially with Lenny hanging around her. Ever since he knew Lenny and Ogie, they had been close… very close. They arrived at the hangar where rows of 2x4 transports were parked.

"Neat!" said Numbuh 0.2 in awe. He had never seen so many vehicles in his life.

"Sector Z?"

"That's us," answered Ashley, but she looked twice at who addressed them. "You look very familiar.

"Yeah, I helped you guys get to the moon base," the girl smiled. "I'm Numbuh 117."

"Oh yeah, the girl who put us into that death trap," said Bruce.

She nodded and smiled apologetically. "Yeah, sorry about that. Travel between Earth and the moon is still new to us field operatives."

"So why are you here?" asked Ogie.

"I was watching the ceremony. All sectors were required to be here for the first one. Groovy, right?"

"Groovy?" asked Lenny.

"It's a new code word we're trying out. So far it means 'neat' but we're working on it."

"Oh."

"So anyway, I thought I'd help again. Your transport is on the far side of the hangar. It's a new test thingy."

"Test thingy?" Ashley groaned. "Is it all of the new sectors who have to test drive the equipment."

"Seems that way," Numbuh 117 shrugged. "But you'll do fine." She turned and started heading for another ride. Looking back, she waved. "Have fun!"

"Have fun? Yeah right," Bruce grumbled.

"C'mon, let's see what we have to ride in this time," said David. Sector Z walked down to the end of the hangar where a large green lump of metal awaited them along with a nerdy looking operative.

"You must be Sector Z. I'm Numbuh 1.200 squared."

Bruce and Lenny snickered, earning a glare from Numbuh 1.200^2. Ashley rolled her eyes.

"I'm Numbuh 0.1. Is this the ride to our treehouse?"

"Yes. This is the new S.C.A.M.P.E.R."

_Kids Next Door: S.C.A.M.P.E.R. __**S**__habby __**Ca**__mper __**A**__ctually __**M**__akes __**P**__erfect __**E**__mergency __**R**__escue-mabob._

"It's a camper," said Ogie.

"No, it's a scamper. Like a camper except—"

"Except you strapped rockets to it like a Brick Rogers comic book," interrupted Bruce.

"Essentially, but it does much more than that. On the inside she is quite the handle."

"She can fly, right?" asked David.

"Of course she can fly!"

"Then it'll be fine."

"But shouldn't I go over all the protocols—"

Ashley held up her hand. "We'll be fine. We just want to get going."

"But—"

"No butts, four eyes," said Bruce who brushed past the operative and inside the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. The others followed, Lenny at the helm with Ashley in the commander's seat. Lenny grinned with delight.

"This looks just like a Doctor Time Space ship!" Bruce gave him a look, causing Lenny to clear his throat in embarrassment.

"Alright Numbuh 0.4, get us out of here."

"On it," he answered and started her up. The jets reared and lit up, shooting the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. out of the hangar with screams of delight from Sector Z. Numbuh 1.200^2's hand made contact with his forehead.

"Rookies."

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><p><strong>AN: Ok, some notes. From now on Sector Z will address each other mostly by their numbers, so you can always use this chapter as a reference. Also, for any confused, Doctor Time Space and the Continuum is Like Doctor Who so I thought because the show existed before my dad was born, it could exist before the current Kids Next Door operatives. In this era it's known just as Doctor Time Space. And to avoid copyright issues I made it Brick Rogers instead of Buck Rogers. Close to our world but different. ;)**


	8. I: Tag

**What Happened to Sector Z**

**A/N: Thanks to Eric Cartman forever and numbuh435spiritsong for the reviews. Yeah... the KND wiki does say that Bruce is Numbuh 0.1 and Ashley is Numbuh 0.3 but I thought switching them around would make it more clear who is leader. Looking back on it, I guess that doesn't really matter. Ah well.**

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><p><span>Chapter 8<span>  
>Tag…<p>

_And so began the legendary exploits of Sector Z; the best of the best of the Seventh Age of the Kids Next Door. Their success would soon be stored in the infamous archives, the place where every KND operative turns for inspirational tales and motivating success. Numbuh 0.1 through 0.5 became heroes in their own right… but secretly they continued striving for their ultimate success which soon became their obsession._

"Kids Next Door mission log: it's been two years since we first retrieved a sample from the fountain of youth. Ever since we've been experimenting with its properties, to no success. The sample was small to begin with but we're running out—"

"Numbuh 0.1? Hey, Ashley!"

"What?" Numbuh 0.1 snapped, spinning around to be faced with a disgruntled Lenny.

"Numbuh 0's on the line for us."

"Can't he wait?"

"He's says it's an urgent call to arctic-base. All operatives are required to go."

Numbuh 0.1 rolled her eyes and pushed herself out of her chair to follow him. On a black and white monitor was the fuzzy picture of Numbuh 0.

"Sector Z all present, sir," said Numbuh 0.2.

"Cool. This is a double super duper code red emergency to Arctic Base."

"What's wrong, Monty?" asked Ogie.

"Just get here as soon as you can. Numbuh 0, out."

The screen went blank leaving a room of questions. "Well that wasn't very informative," muttered Numbuh 0.3.

"He's the Soopreme Leader," said Numbuh 0.4 "I think he can get away with it."

"What do we do, chief?" Numbuh 0.2 looked to Ashley. Her eyes were still fixed on the blank screen.

"We follow orders," she murmured. "Numbuh 0.4, I need you to pull the new C.O.O.L.B.U.S. around."

"Sure," he said and ran off to the hangar.

"What would be a double super duper code red emergency?" Numbuh 0.5 asked worriedly.

"I don't know, but whatever it is better be important. We still have a lot of work to do."

The team made their way over to the east platform, the closest platform, where Numbuh 0.4 waited for them with the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.

Kids Next Door C.O.O.L.B.U.S.:

**C**arries

**O**peratives

**O**verhead

**L**uxuriously-

**B**oasts

**U**nbeatable

**S**peed

"Come on, guys," he called, hitting the horn.

"Hey Numbuh 0.4, how about letting me drive?" asked Numbuh 0.2.

"In your dreams. I've put a lot of work into this puppy."

"Groovy ride, Lenny," Numbuh 0.5 complimented.

"Ugh, I don't think that code word is ever going to catch on," groaned Numbuh 0.3.

Numbuh 0.4 ignored Bruce and looked at Numbuh 0.5 with the overhead mirror. "She's groovy and fast."

"Well let's hope she's fast," said Numbuh 0.1. "We have a super important meeting to get to."

"Buckle up guys and dolls."

Lenny was right when calling her fast. Though she was rather big, her speed was amazing and the ride incredibly smooth. It only took them a matter of hours to get to the arctic base. Numbuh 0.1 grimaced at her old academy. The place was perfect for training new cadets and decent for meetings, but mass attendance was becoming more difficult with so many new recruits joining. Soon there wouldn't be enough space to hold all operatives (though there was a rumor spreading about a new base just for Kids Next Door meetings… but that was just a rumor).

Hundreds of operatives from all over the globe filed into the base, squeezing together in the hall where graduation and induction took place. It was a tight fit, but not impossible. Once everyone had taken their seats, the lights on the stage flashed on and out walked Numbuh 0.

Everyone grew deadly silent as he made his way to the center of the stage and looked out over the crowd. Suddenly he shot his arm up in the air, shouting, "Kids Next Door Rules!"

"Kids Next Door Rules!" echoed to giant audience of kids.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," he continued. "This is extremely important and I needed you all to be here for it."

"I wonder what's up," Numbuh 0.2 whispered.

"As you all know the Kids Next Door has been around for centuries. Noble and brave kids wanting to stop adult tyranny have risen to the defense of helpless kids around the world. That is our job, and we're jolly well proud of it!"

The assembly of operatives whooped and hollered at this, thumping their chests and shouting "Kids Next Door Rules!"

"Since this age of the KND has started, brussel sprout production has fallen by eleventy-hundred percent and tapioca is practically extinct!"

More cheers and applause.

"Though villains have aroused, we've gone face to face with the devils and turned out victorious! No one else has as much right to be as proud of you all as I am today!"

"What's he getting at?" whispered Numbuh 0.3.

"And so, with so much success I have been thinking. As most of you know I turn thirteen in only a few more months. The rules state that once a kid is thirteen, they are no longer considered a kid anymore and must be decommissioned from the Kids Next Door."

"But he's still got a few months left. There's so much more to do," Numbuh 0.5 quietly protested to her team.

"I don't have long now and I want to spend my remaining months soaking in as much adventure as the world will throw at me. So, I've decided to go back to England and live out the rest of my career with Sector E."

The cheering suddenly ceased and was replaced by silence or scattered "What's?"

"I'm not going to be Soopreme Leader anymore, but don't worry. As written in the bylaws from our own Book of KND, there's a special way to choose the next leader." Numbuh 0 started walking forward and dropped off of the stage where a line of KND guards were posted.

Raising a finger boldly, he announced, "I hereby declare... TAG! You're it!" he poked one of the guards who suddenly jumped at the loud voice and sudden gasps. Numbuh 0 smirked and turned to the rest of the congregation of kids.

"I'd run if I were you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Muahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... ha... haha... HA! Okay, I'm done. So I know some of your readers were looking forward to adventures with Sector Z. Well those are still coming, but maybe not in the way expected. For now we're going to skip what makes Sector Z a legendary sector and keep with the question: what happened to them?**

**But don't worry. I'm already planning another fic about the adventures of different amazing operatives, including Sector Z. Please leave a review. ;D**


	9. I: You're It

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: Hey everybody! I want to say thanks to Eric Cartman Forever and a guest (who I think is numbuh435spiritsong but I could be wrong). Also a heads up: these next few chapters are going to be kind of short. No matter what I did to them, for some reason I couldn't get the chapter to be longer without sounding stupid. *shrugs* It'll get better.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9<span>  
>…You're It<p>

The hall became a mass of hysteria as kids trampled over each other trying to get out. The kid who was it started to panic and began running after other kids, trying desperately to pass on the title.

A voice came through the loud speaker and on every communicator, "You have until noon to pick whose _it_. Good luck."

Numbuh 0.1 calmly stood up and looked at her sector. "Let's find Numbuh 0 before this panic gets us killed."

"Agreed," the nodded in unison and started walking toward the stage. Numbuh 0 was leaning against a wall, an expected smirk on his face.

"I was wondering when you lot would come?"

Numbuh 0.1 was about to speak when Numbuh 0.3 blurted out, "What was all that about?"

"Numbuh 0.3," the leader groaned.

Numbuh 0 chuckled. "It's ok Numbuh 0.1. I'm sure a jolly good amount of kids are wondering the same thing." He sighed, tiredly and pushed up his sunglasses. "I'm retiring," he answered plainly. "And I want to retire in time so I can see some action."

"Action?"

"Fighting adult tyranny," he explained further. "I want to fight the evil adults, the reason I brought the Kids Next Door back from the dust."

"Funny, I thought you brought it back to stop Grandfather," said Numbuh 0.4 sourly.

"He was an adult tyrant. One of many we've faced- guys, I need to be back on the field. Two years of being Soopreme Leader gets tiring. I want to have fun again."

"But you're a great leader," said Numbuh 0.5.

"I don't want my whole career in the KND to be the Soopreme Leader. I want to be a field operative. I want to be home, in England with Mum. And Numbuh 999 said she'd be thrilled to have me in Sector E—"

"Why say you only have a few months left?" Numbuh 0.1 asked, quickly changing to a more pressing subject before the rest of her team could really start arguing with Numbuh 0.

He gave her an exhausted look, as though he had been wrestling with this question before. "Because that's when I get decommissioned."

"Yeah, but why only a few months? Why get decommissioned at all? It's a dumb rule. And you're the Soopreme Leader, anything you say can happen," Ashley explained, her tone clipped and frustrated.

"It's the rules, Ashley."

"But we're the Kids Next Door. We're all about breaking rules," she argued.

"Unfair ones made by adults, not our own," Numbuh 0 shot back. "It's in the book of KND. It's a tradition. It needs to happen."

"Why?"

"Because we all have to grow up some time!" he shouted impatiently. Sector Z got uneasily quiet while Numbuh 0 sighed and stood up straight. "When you first joined the KND you came to me with a proposal. A grand feat for all of kiddom. A solution to growing up."

He took a deep breath. "But I've figured out that there isn't a solution nor does there need to be one. People grow up, that's the way it is. And the Kids Next Door isn't here to stop people from growing up, it's to stop adults who have lost all sense of childishness that they will stop at nothing to ruin it for those who still have some."

"I'm going to be decommissioned in a few months because it's the rules, it's our tradition. And I don't mind growing up." He smiled proudly, "It'll just be a new adventure."

"But you won't be able to remember the last one," said Numbuh 0.2.

"I know. But I jolly well don't care. The rest of my life is going to be one big crackerjack story after another. And right now, I want to finish writing my bit in the book while I can still remember it."

"Monty—"

"How's that project coming?" he interrupted. "Find the 'cure' yet?"

"Not yet," Numbuh 0.1 said glumly.

"Good. I kind of hope you don't."

The members of Sector Z looked up at him with disbelief. "Stop searching for the cure?"

Numbuh 0 held up his hands defensively. "You can keep looking. But you only have two more years to find it. Good luck." He looked down at his watch. "Three more hours until the game is done. I would hide if I were in your shoes, unless you want to be Soopreme Leader."

Without saying another word, he left a dumbfounded Sector Z in the Arctic Base auditorium, heading back to England.

The rest of Numbuh 0.1's team turned to her with questioning looks. "What do we do now, Boss?" asked Numbuh 0.2.

Numbuh 0.1 frowned. "We keep working. We are going to find a cure for adulthood."


	10. I: Mission Logs

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: PLEASE READ: I got rid of the Author's Note so my chapters went back to normal. If you are reading this chapter and are confused as to how we got here, go back to chapter nine and read because it's also a new chapter. Thank you much!**

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><p><span>Chapter 10<span>  
>Mission Logs<p>

"_Kids Next Door Mission Log: We've cut off all communications with the Kids Next Door command. We can't afford anymore distractions. We are running out of time and out of luck_—"

"Numbuh 0.1? Soopreme Leader Numbuh 117 is on the line for you," said Numbuh 0.5. Ashley gave the sign to kill the signal, which Numbuh 0.2 did gladly.

"No more distractions. Numbuh 0.4, how are we doing on our sample?" she asked.

"We're almost out. We only have a few drops left," he answered.

"There has to be something we're missing. Something super incredibly important that's staring us in the face," the leader of Sector Z fumed and began to pace.

"Well, we know the sample works on its own," offered Numbuh 0.3.

"Yes, but with extreme side effects. How can we get this to work without being stuck like Leroy and his cousin?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

"We've tried adding energy to it," said Numbuh 0.2.

"But that only speeds up the cycle from kid to adult and then you have to drink it again," Numbuh 0.4 called from his position with the sample.

"And if we take energy away?" asked Numbuh 0.5.

"Too much energy lost will make it ineffective," Numbuh 0.1 concluded. "We all know this." She slammed her hands on the table in frustration.

* * *

><p>"<em>Sector Z Mission Log: Two months and still no success. We've been locked up in our tree house with nothing but candy, potato chips and some hijacked soda. Nerves are running… a little thin. But we can't give up."<em>

"Quit taking my soda!" Numbuh 0.3 shouted and tackled Numbuh 0.4 in a wild effort to rip the glass bottle from his hands.

"Numbuh 0.3—Bruce! Stop it!" Numbuh 0.1 ordered.

"But the creep took my soda!"

"I was moving it out of the way!" Numbuh 0.4 hollered back.

"Will you two just stop bickering?" shouted Numbuh 0.2. "You've been at each others throats for days!"

"If Lenny would stop taking things that weren't his, maybe we wouldn't be like this!"

"It's not my problem! You're the problem!" Numbuh 0.4 accused.

"You want to say that to my face?" Numbuh 0.3 dared.

"I just did!"

They started at each other again, but Numbuh 0.1 got in the way and shoved them backwards. "I'm ordering this to stop!"

Numbuh 0.4 stumbled backwards and ran into 0.5, who dropped her leaning tower of potato chips.

Numbuh 0.4 spun around and froze. "Ogie, are you okay?" he gasped, forgetting the fight and becoming aware of what he had done. Numbuh 0.5 sniffled and bent over to pick up her ruined creation.

"I worked hard on that," she whispered.

For a moment everyone was quiet until 0.1 spoke up. "Everyone, let's take a break away from each other, alright?" she ordered. "Go back to your rooms and we'll get back to work tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"<em>Mission Log: Another month and still nothing. We missed Numbuh 0's decommissioning, though he probably didn't want to see us anyway after our last "delightful" chat. Keeping the tests and experiments to an all time low in order to stretch what remains of our sample from the fountain of youth. We need to find a cure soon or this will all be for nothing. I don't want to grow up…"<em>

"Can we think of anything else?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

"What's the point, Ashley?" asked Numbuh 0.2. After the 9th week they had given up on using codenames and formalities.

"You're giving up?" she demanded.

"Kind of hard to keep going after two years," Bruce muttered.

"Two years…" said Ogie.

"Three months…" Lenny continued.

"And fourteen days," David finished.

"But we're close—"

"Ashley, we've never been close to a solution," said David. "And they all told us so. Leroy did, Monty did. Adulthood may be a disease, but it doesn't have a cure."

Ashley sighed in defeat and slumped into the nearest chair. "But we're so close… I can feel it."

"That's it! I've had it!" Bruce snapped. Growling in frustration, he shoved himself up to his feet and made his way to the consoles where all of the tests were done. Grabbing his carrot-nun chucks, he began swinging and hitting all of their equipment. Everyone jumped up and went after him.

"Bruce! Stop!"

"What're you doing?"

"You'll ruin everything!"

"Everything IS ruined!" he screamed back at them and continued swinging. David and Lenny were able to pull him back and snatch the wrench away, but the damage was already done.

Sparks began flying from the consoles. Monitors blew out. The lights began flickering on and off as electricity ran up and down the wires and conduits in a major short circuit.

"What have you done?" Ashley screamed.

A bolt of electricity shot into the containment area and a blast of energy erupted from where the sample was stored. They tried running, but the energy washed over the members of Sector Z like a flood and immediately everything went black.


	11. I: We're Done

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: Hey everybody! So, important announcement time: When you're finished reading, please check the Authors Note at the end for some future information and a few fun facts. Once again thank you to my faithful reviewers: Eric Cartman forever, numbuh435spiritsong [I had a feeling it was you. ;) ] and MidniteCurse4Eternity.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 11<span>  
>We're Done<p>

"Ugh… what happened?"

"Bruce destroyed our sample, that's what happened," answered a voice, though it didn't completely register in Numbuh 0.1's brain. She rolled off her back and onto her forearms. The tree house was a shambles and the lab a complete wreck.

"I didn't mean to… I didn't think—"

"You don't think!"

"Lenny, stop it."

Numbuh 0.1 blinked to clear her vision. In front of her was Numbuh's 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5. She turned her head and saw Numbuh 0.2 still out on the floor.

"David?" she whispered.

"Numbuh 0.1, sir, are you okay?" asked a girl's voice from her side. Numbuh 0.1 looked up and saw that 0.5 had moved over to her and was trying to help her up. Ashley leaned on Ogie for support and was able to get to her feet.

"Status report Numbuh 0.3."

"The tree house is blown to bits because of me. Numbuh 0.2 is still out cold and the last bit of our sample is gone."

"Destroyed," Numbuh 0.4 muttered.

"Lenny, we all lose our tempers," Numbuh 0.5 scolded.

"We lost the sample?" Numbuh 0.1 asked quietly. She didn't want to believe it…

"Sorry, sir. It's gone," Numbuh 0.4 apologized. Bruce kicked the ground in response.

"Wow… some party, huh?" a groggy voice said from the floor. Numbuh 0.5 ran over to David and started checking him over. Numbuh 0.1 followed suite.

"How you doing, soldier?" she asked.

"I—" he grimaced in pain, "could be better. What about everyone else?"

"We're fine," Numbuh 0.5 answered. "But it looks like you got doubly hit being so close to the explosion."

"That would explain why I feel like I got ran over by an ice cream truck," he chuckled but flinched.

"No laughing unless you want to hurt. That's an order," Numbuh 0.1 smirked.

"Yes, sir," David gave a shaky solute.

"We'll have to stay somewhere else until we can get our tree house rebuilt," Numbuh 0.1 started saying. Turning to Numbuh 0.4 she said, "Lenny I need you to get Numbuh 0—I mean Numbuh 117 on the horn yesterday. Bruce, go see if you can scavenge up some band-aids."

"Yes, sir," they saluted in unison and headed off to accomplish their respective tasks.

"Ogie, I need you to look after Numbuh 0.2 and keep him still."

"What about you, sir?"

"I need to check something."

Numbuh 0.1 got up from her knees and made her way through the lab debris to where the sample had been stored. Something felt… different. Like something wasn't right. Looking around, she found no trace of the sample. But what caused that blast of energy?

"The electricity hit the sample," she mumbled to herself, tracing the scorch marks along the fried wall. "But it didn't add energy to it or else we would be super old right now…"

"I found the band-aids!" she heard Numbuh 0.3 call.

"So if it didn't add energy, what did it do and where did the sample go?"

"Numbuh 0.1! Numbuh 117 is sending a transport to take us to Sector M. She wants to know what happened!"

"Tell her we had a tech malfunction," Numbuh 0.1 called back while climbing out of the debris.

"Lie to the Soopreme Leader?"

"It's not like we haven't done it before," she shrugged.

Numbuh 0.4 nodded and went back to the half-destroyed communicator. Numbuh 0.3 was using his nun-chucks to break through some fallen debris.

"This should give them a clear landing."

"Good Numbuh 0.3. Remind me later to yell at you for all this."

Bruce frowned. "Yeah… sure."

"You figure out what that explosion was?" David coughed.

"Not yet, Numbuh 0.2, but I'm going to find out."

* * *

><p>They were picked up and dropped off at Sector M's tree house in the northern part of the country. Obviously the knowledge of where Sector Z's tree house was located was known by all Soopreme Leaders.<p>

Numbuh 117 decided to be there personally, ready to blow up at them for blowing her off for the past few months.

"Do you guys know how much trouble you're in? Sector P needed back up when faced with the MUNKY flinging bananas at kids on a playground, I needed you to tackle what was causing the taffy shortage in upstate New York—"

Sector Z remained quiet through the Soopreme Leader's ranting, letting the rage pass by them without a single acknowledgment.

When her anger was expelled, Numbuh 117 finished with a sigh, "What am I going to do with you all? It's like ever since Numbuh 0 stopped being Soopreme Leader you all have decided to pull away."

Numbuh 0.1 looked up, finally. "Numbuh 117, did Numbuh 0 tell you about our project?"

"Um… no. He just said that whatever you guys needed, give it."

"Good. What we need is time. Lots and lots of time."

"Yeah, but you're still under my authority. I can pull the plug on this project if it means you'll start helping kids and not your own agenda."

Numbuh 0.3 was about to argue something, but Numbuh 0.2 had the common sense to pull him back. They landed and were welcomed by Sector M. Numbuh 117 stood at the entrance of the C.A.S.U.A.L.

**Kids Next Door: C.A.S.U.A.L.**

_**Chunky**_

_**Armorless**_

_**Ship-**_

_**Uneffective**_

_**And**_

_**Luxurious**_

Once her team was off the transport, Numbuh 0.1 looked back at Numbuh 117. "Consider this Sector Z's resignation."

"You really want to do that?" Numbuh 117 challenged.

"The reason we joined the Kids Next Door was for the 2x4 technology and our project. Yeah saving kids was a thrill, but we're trying to save kids in a bigger way and… we failed. We're done."

"I'll have to have you brought to the Moon Base for decommissioning," the Soopreme Leader pointed out, jumping down from the parked C.A.S.U.A.L.

"No, all you have to do is erase our names from the book."

"You know I can't do that."

"You're the Soopreme Leader. You can do whatever you want."

Numbuh 117 paced in front of Sector Z. Finally with a groan of frustration, she conceded. "Fine, but only because we go way back. It will be as if you were never in the Kids Next Door."

Numbuh 0.1 actually smiled genuinely, the first in a long time, and said, "Groovy."

Numbuh 117 rolled her eyes. "We dropped that word. It's too cheesy. How about 'hip'?"

"Whatever you say, sir," Numbuh 0.1 laughed and saluted. The rest of the team mimicked her and saluted their former leader. Numbuh 117 smiled sadly and hopped back on the transport.

"Back to Moon Base," she ordered. It lifted off and slowly grew smaller and smaller as it got farther away, letting the Soopreme Leader wave down at them until she disappeared behind the clouds.

"So what do we do now?" asked Ogie.

Ashley shrugged. "I guess we live."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The end… not! No this is just the end to Part I. I've decided I'm going to make this story into two parts. I'll be back around September with the beginning of Part II.**

**Fun Fact #1: Did you know Numbuh 117 isn't a random character? You probably do, at least if you've read the Author's Notes at the beginning and end. Numbuh 117 is the prize for MidniteCurseforEternity. She had the closest answer to my contest in Operation U.N.I.T.E. At first Numbuh 117 was only going to show up once, but she was such a fun character she decided to move up the ladder and become the second Soopreme Leader of the 7th age of the Kids Next Door.**

**Fun Fact #2: I did not make up C.A.S.U.A.L. It's actually a transport in the Kids Next Door Trading Cards set.**


	12. II: We're Back

**A/N: Hey everybody! See, I told you I'd be back in September. This past month was a temporary break from updating in order to get some chapter written and possibly new stories started... yeah, it didn't work that way. But here is your new chapter, the first of Part 2. Please buckle your seatbelts, keep your hands inside the ride at all times and enjoy the chapter... and if you get confused or think my storyplot has turned for the lamest... you are probably right.**

* * *

><p><strong>What Happened to Sector Z?<strong>

Part II

Chapter 12  
>We're Back<p>

_Year 1996_

He ran through the dark streets of Cleveland, a proud smirk alight his face. His beret leaned over his eyes, forcing him to push it back lest he trip on the uneven streets. He dashed passed moving cars, their lights blaring in the dark and shouts of "Get out of the way, kid!" or "Move it!" rang in his ears. But he had to keep going. This was too important.

The tree house could be seen from his vantage point. Its silhouette stood only a few blocks away.

He ran down the sidewalk, jumped over roots and finally made it to the entrance, using a booger as his key inside.

The open room was quiet and dark. Maybe everyone had gone to sleep? "Hello? Anybody up?"

"Freeze!" another boy's voice shouted, the point of a 2x4 weapon pressed against the other's back.

"Oh chill out Bruce, it's only me."

"I know it's you, David."

David rolled his eyes and, before Bruce could blink, made a quick movement, grabbed Bruce's trousers and flipped the smaller boy over his shoulder and onto the floor. Bruce grunted as he hit the floor, but was soon on the rebound with a left hook and a right jab. David ducked and dodged the blows and was able to grab Bruce's arm and use his momentum to send him into the nearest wall.

Suddenly someone else jumped on behind him, sending a well aimed punch at David's gut. Quick on his feet, David was able to move but not before catching the blow in the shoulder.

"Ow! Not so hard, Lenny!"

Lenny smirked and through another punch, his boxing gloves thankfully not charged up. He missed and went tumbling over the couch, but Bruce was back up and eagerly bull-rushed his teammate's form.

"You shouldn't have come back," Bruce said victoriously, but David was back on his feet, grabbed Bruce's ankles and swung the shorter boy around before letting go and launching him to the armchair.

Bruce collapsed and moaned while David knelt down with his arm outstretched. "Nice going, Bruce. You're getting better; you too Lenny."

Lenny nodded, but cringed in pain at the movement. Bruce looked up and took David's hand gingerly. "Thanks, but I almost had you."

"Yeah… sure…"

"Are you boys and your testosterone done yet?" asked a familiar female voice from the loft above. The three looked up and saw their leader, Ashley.

"Just playing around," David excused.

"Was your mission successful?" she asked him.

David smiled and pulled the giant bag of mixed candies from his jacket pocket. Ashley smiled too and jumped from the loft to the main floor.

"Excellent!"

"Mr. Jelly wasn't too happy about seeing me there so late."

Ashley shrugged it off. "He gives me the creeps anyway. Him and that fake smile of his."

Bruce crept silently behind them both and pounced, David quickly spinning around Ashley, catching the shorter boy's foot and forced him to the floor.

"Ow! Ow! Okay! I give! I give!" he hollered and David let go.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "I'm starting to regret taking you all to PS182."

Bruce smirked at the recollection. "Yeah… tai-chi and dodgeball, back when we didn't have to hide."

Everyone got really quiet at his remark while their leader's playful frown turned into a scowl.

"You know very well why we have to stay hidden, Bruce. I don't want to have to explain it again."

"Please do," he challenged. "I'm so sick of staying cooped up in this abandoned tree house! You've turned us into Leroy and Leona!"

The other three's eyes went back and forth from Bruce and Ashley through the argument. These fights had happened so many times in all their years, it was almost expected whenever the hot-headed blond and the stubborn girl were in the same room.

"We can't go out! If anybody knew what we did—"

"We made the cure for adulthood!"

"A cure we can't replicate! Kids would be jealous! Adults would hunt us down as freaks!"

"Then why not go back to the Kids Next Door?"

Both Bruce and Ashley stopped mid-breath. Neither had offered that last suggestion. Everyone turned their eyes on the youngest and quietest member of their team… Ogie.

"What?"

Ogie shrugged. "Why not go back? We were good there… helpful…"

Ashley sighed impatiently. "For the same reason we can't be around other kids, Ogie. If the Kids Next Door found out that we're going to stay kids forever… there would be no end to the envy. We would never be decommissioned, and kids would hate us for that."

It was David's turn to speak up. "They wouldn't have to know."

Ashley snorted. "Yeah, and how do you propose we fool 'em? Quit and disappear for a few decades and then come back again? Change our names? Dye our hair?"

"Maybe not that extreme," the taller boy mused and flung a taffy piece into his mouth.

"We could hack their system," Lenny suggested. "They have a new computerized system, easy to bust into."

David perked up at the idea. "I know just how!" He pulled out his old, 2x4 fashioned laptop and started typing away madly. In fifteen minutes they were into the Kids Next Door Sooper Computer Network.

"How'd you get there?" asked Ashley.

David rubbed his fingernails on his shirt smoothly, as if polishing them. "I've broken in occasionally. You know- just to make sure everything's okay."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal," Bruce joked.

David shrugged, but began typing again. They were in the operative files.

"See, look at all of them. Cadets, field operatives, moonbase operatives, sectors, agents, double agents— and all of their birthdays."

"So we could change our birthdates and ages to stay ten forever and none would be the wiser," said Bruce.

"And decommissioning would actually protect us, because everyone who would be able to recognize us in forty years wouldn't remember," added Lenny.

"It's perfect!" Ogie beamed.

"I still don't like it," said Ashley.

The others looked up at her as if she had grown a second head. "What don't you like about it?" asked Bruce.

"I don't like the risk. If we get caught, we could be facing something worse than decommissioning."

"I think you've grown up too much," David teased. Ashley shot him a glare, but he continued more seriously. "We used to be all about the risk. Going everywhere and anywhere to find the cure, being the best in the KND and living life on the edge—"

"That was almost twenty years ago," she argued, wrapping her arms in a tight hug around herself. "That was all before the accident and the never ageing and the—"

"You're not regretting it, are you?" asked Lenny.

"We've been blessed, Ash. We shouldn't have to waste it here," said Ogie.

"And I want to kick some adult butt, just like the old times," Bruce concluded, smacking his fist for emphasis.

Ashley looked up at all of them helplessly. "You really want to do this?"

They nodded.

"You know what this means, right? Going back through arctic training, rebuilding our reputation, starting from the bottom—"

"We know that Ashley," said David. "Are you in? We wouldn't be Sector Z without our fearless leader."

She smiled weakly and for a moment hesitated, but something seemed to click in her mind's eye and her smile grew into a confident smirk, one that her team hadn't seen in years. She put her hand in front of her, each of them followed by stacking their hands on top of one another's. "We can do this."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know, it sounds up and down and turn around, but it all has a point… eventually.**


	13. II: Rebellion Part I

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: Alright, here we go! Thank you to Eric Cartman Forever, iNatsuBlueCyan789, and MidniteCurse4Eternity for their kind reviews.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 13<br>Rebellion Part I

_3 Years Later…  
><em>

"_You still sure we can do this?!" Numbuh 0.1 shouted to her team. She ducked and dodged as a laser blast zipped through the space where her head had previously been._

"_C'mon, sir!" Numbuh 0.2 shouted over the electric echoes of laser fire. "Doesn't it bring back memories?" He quickly dropped before a laser took his own head off._

"_You say it like it's a good thing!" Ashley called back to her second-in-command, swinging her umbrella sword at the head of an unsuspecting teen. They had all gone through this routine before. Whenever an especially dangerous mission got even hotter, Sector Z leader, Numbuh 0.1 would joke about if rejoining the KND was worth. Always her team would answer yes. _

"_Speaking of memories," added Numbuh 0.3, "Where is that dumb machine?!"_

_Numbuh 0.4 fired his weapon before dropping it and coming up with a hook from his energized boxing gloves. "Numbuh 100 said it would be held deep within the school!" _

"_Ogie!" Numbuh 0.1 shouted. "Do you see anything?!"_

_Numbuh 0.5 rolled away from an attacking teenager, shoved her cooking utensils into their holsters and grabbed a B.O.N.G.O.S.K.O.P.E._

**Kids Next Door: B.O.N.G.O.S.K.O.P.E.**

**Binocularized **

**Optical **

**Night **

**Glasses **

**Or **

**Sooper **

**Kool **

**Outasight **

**Percussion **

**Emoter**

_Ogie focused toward a window with a classroom full of pre-teens. She checked every window and through the ranks of teens._

"_Nothing! It must be kept deep, deep, deep in that building."_

"_What's so important about this dumb machine anyway?" Bruce called before flipping a pre-teen on their back._

"_Dunno!" Ashley answered, blocking punches and sending a teen flying with a well-placed kick. "But Numbuh 100 said it was a Code Red and we need to get it back."_

"_It would be easier to get it back if we knew what it looked like!" hollered Lenny._

_Numbuh 0.1 rolled her eyes and focused on the fight. How did it get to this?_

* * *

><p><em>2 hours earlier…<em>

"Sector Z reporting, sir," Numbuh 0.1 saluted, followed by her team. Numbuh 100 stood in front of them, his face grim. It was a rare occasion nowadays for Sector Z to get called to the Moon Base, so when Numbuh 0.4 delivered Ashley the message, Numbuh 0.1 knew it was serious.

"At ease," the Supreme Leader commanded before pacing. "I've called you guys here for a sooper important, top secret mission."

He stopped, pulled out a remote from his belt and aimed at a nearby stereo. "Moon Base! This is Sector W! We're in trouble here guys! The teens! No wait not teens! STOP! AAAGGGHHH…" The transmission cut out to static.

"We received the message only yesterday. Turns out that while on a candy run, Sector W was intercepted by a riot of protesting pre-teens. What's worse, these pre-teens were operatives."

"Operatives?" Numbuh 0.5 gasped.

"Impossible, sir," Numbuh 0.3 but in, earning a glare from the Supreme Leader.

"With all due respect, Numbuh 100," Numbuh 0.2 remedied, "but why would operatives be rioting? What about?"

"We're not sure yet. But they've attacked their fellow Kids Next Door agents and what's worse… we sent a recon group down to see what the hubbub was about. They found Teen ninjas and other teenagers amongst the rioters. That makes these operatives traitors in my book."

"So what do we need to do, sir?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

"I need you all to get down to Sector W's treehouse and scope it out. This is high priority. Make sure everything is intact and no teenagers have broken in. And above all else, don't be seen. Contact me directly when you get inside."

Sector Z saluted and followed their orders, taking a C.L.O.U.D.C.O.V.E.R.

**Kids Next Door: C.L.O.U.D.C.O.V.E.R.**

**Camouflaged**

**Looks**

**Obscure**

**Undercover**

**Detective**

**Craft**

**On**

**Very**

**Essential**

**Reconnaissance**

Sector W's tree house was eerily quiet. The lights were out and the electricity not working. "Keep on your toes, team," Numbuh 0.1 said quietly.

Numbuh 0.3 kicked a stray can. "Sheesh, Sector W sure left a mess."

"Was it really Sector W?" Numbuh 0.5 asked, poking at a burn mark on the yellow couch. Ashley stooped below to examine it.

"This was a fight," she muttered before motioning for complete silence. Numbuh 0.2 quietly made his way over to her side before giving her a questioning look.

She pointed to the mark, then around the room, then cupped her ear. The message was clear. Burn, fight, listen for anything wrong.

David nodded and in turn motioned for everyone to get out. Numbuh's 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 nodded and started climbing out of the desolate tree house. Numbuh 0.1 gave one last look over before following her sector out.

They all gathered around the C.L.O.U.D.C.O.V.E.R. "Well that wasn't good," muttered Numbuh 0.3.

"I kind of suspected Numbuh 100 knew what we would find," said Numbuh 0.1.

"So what now?" asked Numbuh 0.4.

"Now we report to Moon Base and await further orders. I don't like where this might be going. If teenagers have gotten a good number of pre-teen operatives to join them, this isn't just some dumb plot. It's treason."

"You're talking a war?" asked Numbuh 0.2.

Ashley grimaced. "Hopefully not," she answered while pulling out her phone shaped communicator.

"Numbuh 0.1 to Moon Base. Come in, Numbuh 100."

"_This is Numbuh 100. What's your status Sector Z?_"

"Sector W's treehouse has been breached, sir."

She heard their leader sigh. "_This isn't good._"

"Sir?"

"_Wait for me there, Sector Z. I'll be down with a task force. These teenagers aren't going to get away with this._"

"Yes, sir."

"_Moon Base over and out._"

Ashley hung up the communicator only to be met with questioning looks from her team.

"So? What'd he say?" asked David.

"He said we need to stay here and that he's bringing a task force. Whatever is going on, Numbuh 100 wants it handled quickly and quietly."

Numbuh 0.3 frowned. "So we just wait here?"

Ashley nodded. "We just wait."


	14. II: Rebellion Part II

**What Happened to Sector Z**

**A/N: XD So I had a lot of fun with this chapter. And when I say fun I mean FUN fun fun. I hope my readers are really paying attention to what is going on in these few chapter. You'll get it if you've watched Operation Z.E.R.O. Anyway, thanks to Erica Cartman Forever for your kind review! See, you didn't have to wait too long. ;D**

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><p><span>Chapter 14<span>  
>Rebellion Part II<p>

It took only a half hour for Numbuh 100 to show up on the outskirts of Sector W's tree house. The Supreme Leader stepped out of the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.

_**Kids Next Door: C.O.O.L.B.U.S.**_

_**Carries **_

_**Operatives **_

_**Overhead **_

_**Luxuriously **_

_**Boasts **_

_**Unbeatable **_

_**Speed**_

"Numbuh 100, Sir!"

"At ease, Sector Z. Anything new?"

"Nothing yet, sir," said Numbuh 0.1.

Numbuh 100 frowned and turned, motioning for the rest of his own team to come out. Numbuh 0.1 raised her eyebrows as four sectors stepped out.

"I brought Sectors F, P, D, and Q with me to get this handled… and this," he motioned to a blond boy a little shorter than himself wearing a similar helmet to Numbuh 0.1 and 0.4, "is Numbuh 274, a good friend and head of the recon team sent earlier."

"Numbuh 274, huh?" Numbuh 0.1 mused, impressed. "We've heard that numbuh. You're making quite a name for yourself."

"You're the kid who took down a whole ice cream delivery division, right?" asked Numbuh 0.3.

Numbuh 274 smirked, but with a modest blush. He was, after all, only a rookie before seasoned veterans.

"And he helped save the whole supply of soda from an adult bust," added Numbuh 0.4.

"And—"

"Guys, that's enough. You're embarrassing him," Numbuh 0.2 scolded. Numbuh 274 nodded his appreciation.

"Numbuh 100 has basically told you everything my recon group reported. Operatives ranging from a few months to even a year from their thirteenth birthdays have decided to side with teen ninjas."

"Right," said Numbuh 100. "And what's worse is if teenagers got into Sector W's tree house."

"Why, Numbuh 100?" asked Numbuh 0.1. "I mean I understand if the teenagers were after our tech, but all of Sector W's 2x4 technology hasn't been touched. And teenagers aren't smart enough to crack our database."

"You're correct, Numbuh 0.1," said Numbuh 100, but he didn't elaborate after that. Instead he finished with ordering, "I want Sector's F, Q, and D to make a perimeter around the tree. Sectors Z and P are with me."

"What're we doing?" asked Numbuh 0.4.

"We're going back in. I need to check something."

No one dared argue with their leader. The seriousness of the situation practically emanated from him as they searched through the forlorn tree house. The boards creaked under the group's wait as they scanned their surroundings. Trash and broken furniture was everywhere.

"We already know there was a fight," muttered Numbuh 0.3.

"I'm not so sure this was a fight," said Numbuh 274.

"What do you mean? There's burn marks and everything," Bruce argued.

"Yeah, but looks at the way everything is positioned. The furniture is upside down," Numbuh 274 pointed out. "Plus, Sector W was attacked on a candy run four blocks from here."

"So what did happen?" asked Numbuh 489 from Sector P.

"They were looking for something," answered Numbuh 100.

"But what? What could Sector W have that was so valuable?" asked Numbuh 0.4.

Numbuh 100 sighed, tiredly, but still adamant about staying secretive. "If my gut is right, you'll all find out soon enough."

"That wasn't the answer I was hoping for," Numbuh 0.1 muttered to 0.2.

They kept moving deep into the heart of the tree house. They started reaching towards the roots of the tree, somewhere no operative really thought could be accessed.

"This kinda looks like our old treehouse," Numbuh 0.4 whispered, earning a hiss from Numbuh 0.1.

As they walked into a tunnel with nothing but roots and dirt surrounding them, the group of operatives came upon a giant, metal safe door.

"Alright team, we're here," said Numbuh 100 ominously.

"Where is here?" asked Numbuh 0.2.

"The Kids Next Door vault. Only the most precious Kids Next Door artifact is kept in that safe." Numbuh 100 stepped up to the door, ceremoniously stuck his finger up his nose and pressed the booger covered appendage on the key pad.

"Kids Next Door DNA accepted. Welcome Supreme Leader Numbuh 100," a computerized voice responded. The clicks and taps of locks beginning to unlock themselves continued steadily for a good minute before the last lock broke free and the door swung open.

At first it was dark in the safe, but eventually a small light bulb flickered on. For something that held the most precious KND artifact, it wasn't all that impressive. Neither was the artifact itself.

It was a wooden box, not unlike a hand-made jack-in-the-box, except it had a kind of a scope peaking out of the front.

"_That_'s what the teenagers are after?" Numbuh 0.3 asked incredulously.

"Yes. This artifact was created by Numbuh 0 himself."

Numbuh 488 from Sector P sighed. "Numbuh 0 is just a myth Numbuh 100," he said.

The operatives of Sector Z exchanged knowing looks. Numbuh 0 was a tinkerer in his day, a skilled fighter and tech. He would always tinker in his spare time. This must have been the only one of his little toys that survived after he was decommissioned.

Numbuh 100 rolled his eyes, something barely seen under that brown tuft of hair, and grabbed the device. "He wasn't a myth. Here's the proof."

"Why hide it in Sector W's treehouse?" asked Numbuh 489.

"It's Washington. Nobody would think to look here," Numbuh 274 said simply.

"But what does it do?" asked Numbuh 489.

"Why don't you hand it over and find out?" asked a mocking voice from behind them. The group spun around, 2x4 weapons at the ready, only to face a squad of teen ninjas.

"Hand it over kids, before we get rough with you," the speaker, a teen girl with blonde hair, demanded again.

"No way, teenager," Numbuh 100 answered.

"He said give it!" barked another teenager, this one a boy with pimples all over his cheeks. He held his gauntlet out and aimed it straight for Numbuh 100's head.

"You're kidding, right?" taunted Numbuh 274. "Why on earth would we just hand it over to you lot?"

"Because we outnumber, outgun, and outskill you brats Eleventy-billion to one," answered the blonde leader with a proud smirk.

"Outnumber yes, outgunned, maybe, but definitely not out skilled," Numbuh 0.1 shot back, raising her weapon and firing. The impact of the blast knocked "pimple-boy" off his feet, but the teenagers weren't entirely incompetent. The gauntlets were up and it was mass chaos in the little tunnel. Punches were flying everywhere, and Numbuh 100 was doing his best to fend off unwanted adolescents while keeping a tight grip on the box.

"Get that module!" shouted the blonde teen, charging with two others at the Supreme Leader.

Numbuh 274 stepped in the way and was able to draw the attention of her two flunkies, but couldn't get the leader. He punched and kicked to get away from the teen guys, shooting his M.U.S.K.E.T. whenever he got the chance.

Numbuh 0.2 and 0.1 tackled a teen girl and were after the leader, who was after Numbuh 100. She reached the Supreme Leader and made a grab for the "module" but was quickly tackled and sent flying by Numbuhs 488 and 0.3.

Groaning, the blonde teen sat up and rubbed the stars from her eyes. Numbuh 100 took his G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A. and aimed it right between her eyes.

"Not a chance," he repeated.

The teen girl glared daggers at him. "This isn't over, you brat. We'll get that thing soon enough."

"I'm going to make sure you teenagers never get a hold of this module," he assured her.

"How about an operative?" another voice asked, this one a bit higher. They snapped around toward the safe door and saw a kid with the box in his hands. Numbuh 100 looked helplessly at the hand that had held the artifact. It was empty.

"Numbuh 300?" asked Numbuh 489.

"Sorry, guys. I hope you'll understand," Numbuh 300 apologized.

"Understand that you're a traitor?" Numbuh 488 snarled. "You said you were being forced to go to camp! But really you're working with these cruddy pizza-faces?" he shouted.

Numbuh 300 looked down sadly, but he had a scary resolute gleam in his eyes. "Because this is the only way," he answered.

"The only way for what?" asked Numbuh 100. Unfortunately Numbuh 300's answer was cut off by the teenager. While he held the attention of the operatives, she was able to scramble away and circle around to his side.

"Sorry brats, no time for explanations. Let's go, kid," she said, grabbed his hand and took off with her jet-boots down the tunnel.

Numbuh 100 didn't waste a second. "After them!" he ordered. Running was no match for a teen ninjas jet-boots, but soon they were able to get back up to the main floor of the tree house and out to the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. Sector F,Q, and D rejoined them.

"Did you see where that teen was headed, Numbuh 65?"

"That way, sir," Numbuh 65 pointed in the direction of town.

"I bet you a yipper card they're on their way to the Junior High school," said Numbuh 274. "From what I saw, that's their main hub."

"Then we head to the Junior High," said Numbuh 100. "Kids Next Door! BATTLE STATIONS!"


	15. II: Rebellion Part III

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: Happy October everybody! I apologize, for going so slow. It's the usual excuses: school, work, revocering from a nasty bug... nevermind. Thank you for the reviews from: Erica Cartman Forever, iNatsuBlueCyan789, FrittzyCrazy, and MidniteCurse4Eternity.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Chapter 15<span>  
>Rebellion Part III<p>

Sector Z rode with Sector P, Numbuh 100 and Numbuh 274 in a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. to the Junior High School.

"This is a Code Red mission, everyone. We need to be on our… toes?" Numbuh 100's words died at the sight beyond the closing horizon. Pre-teen operatives side by side with teenagers and teen ninjas, all lined up like an armored wall around the school building.

Numbuh 65 spoke over the intercom from above the driver, Numbuh 420. "Are you guys seeing this too?" he asked.

"Pull back to the far parking lot," ordered Numbuh 100. We'll use the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and C.O.O.L.B.U.S. as shields. We need to get past those defenses."

"You suggest shooting through all of them?" Numbuh 65 argued. "There are some of our own operatives there!"

"Do you have another idea?" Numbuh 100 shot back. The intercom stayed silent, but Numbuh 0.1 did not.

"Send my sector in while you all create a distraction. If we land just short of the faculty parking lot," she pointed to an empty lot with a brick building beside it, "my team and I can easily sneak around and take up the rear."

"You sure about that, Numbuh 0.1?" asked Numbuh 274. Ashley nodded.

"Positive."

"The device is going to be deep within the school," the Supreme leader warned.

"We've seen worse, sir."

"Alright," Numbuh 100 agreed and looked up at the intercom. "Did you catch that Numbuh 65?"

"Read you loud and clear," he responded.

"Then let's do this. Numbuh 420, park us by that building over there."

"Yessir, Numbuh 100."

Numbuh 0.2 swung his eraser tipped spear around carefully when he caught Numbuh 488 and 489 whispering, 488 looking murderous.

"You okay, Numbuh 488?" he asked.

"Deixe-me sozinho, buço para cérebros [a]," 488 growled.

489 looked annoyed and sad. "Perdoe meu irmão… I mean excuse my brother. He's being a jerk."

"How would you feel if one of our own betrayed you-"

"One of my own did betray me!" she shouted back, drawing everyone's attention. 489 blushed before hissing, "He was my teammate too."

Numbuh 488 turned away, clenching his S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. "When I find him—"

His comment was interrupted by a jolt in the floor, sending many operatives sprawling.

"What was that?" Numbuh 0.3 demanded.

"We're taking enemy fire!" shouted Numbuh 420. "Hang on!" she pulled an evasive maneuver that sent everyone flying to the ground. Another blast made the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. spin out of control. Numbuh 420 screamed as she directed the transport lower and lower until, with a crash, the bottom hit pavement and slid to a stop just before the designated brick building.

"Everyone okay?" Numbuh 100 called.

"Just a few screws loose!" Numbuh 0.4 called back.

"I may have twisted something," Numbuh 489 said. Numbuh 0.5 looked her direction and saw Sector P's leader grasping her ankle. Shots were still being fired at the downed S.C.A.M.P.E.R.

"They've got us pinned in this corner!" Numbuh 420 hollered.

"If you guys plan on going, you better do it now!" shouted Numbuh 100 to Numbuh 0.1.

She nodded and motioned for the rest of Sector Z to follow. The team quickly jumped out the side, dodging mustard blasts and laser fire before getting around the corner of the building. A wave of operatives and teens ran after them, 2x4 weapons and teen tech ablaze.

"You still sure we can do this?!" Numbuh 0.1 shouted to her team. She ducked and dodged as a laser blast zipped through the space where her head had previously been.

"C'mon, sir!" Numbuh 0.2 shouted over the electric echoes of laser fire. "Doesn't it bring back memories?" He quickly dropped before a laser took his own head off.

"You say it like it's a good thing!" Ashley called back to her second-in-command, swinging her umbrella sword at the head of an unsuspecting teen. They had all gone through this routine before. Whenever an especially dangerous mission got even hotter, Sector Z leader, Numbuh 0.1 would joke about if rejoining the KND was worth. Always her team would answer yes.

"Speaking of memories," added Numbuh 0.3, "Where is that dumb machine?!"

Numbuh 0.4 fired his weapon before dropping it and coming up with a hook from his energized boxing gloves. "Numbuh 100 said it would be held deep within the school!"

"Ogie!" Numbuh 0.1 shouted. "Do you see anything?!"

Numbuh 0.5 rolled away from an attacking teenager, shoved her cooking utensils into their holsters and grabbed a B.O.N.G.O.S.K.O.P.E.

"Nothing! It must be kept deep, deep, deep in that building."

"What's so important about this dumb machine anyway?" Bruce called before flipping a pre-teen on their back.

"Dunno!" Ashley answered, blocking punches and sending a teen flying with a well-placed kick. "But Numbuh 100 said it was a Code Red and we need to get it back."

"It would be easier to get it back if we knew what it looked like!" hollered Lenny.

Numbuh 0.1 rolled her eyes and focused on the fight. How did it get to this?

"Numbuh 0.1, watch it!" Numbuh 0.2 tackled her as a gumball shot overhead.

"Thanks David," she gasped and jumped up, clobbering a teen with her umbrella. "We need to get out of here."

"There's a door over on the far side!" Numbuh 0.5 called, putting away her B.O.N.G.O.S.K.O.P.E.

"Let's go!" Numbuh 0.3 beckoned. Sector Z made a scramble for the door, knocking teens out of the way. Numbuh 0.2 made it in first and broke to the side, allowing his teammates easy passage before slamming the door in a charging teenager's face.

"Everyone make it?" Numbuh 0.1 gasped.

"Yeah… we're all here," Numbuh 0.5 answered with a short breath. "Ugh, I hate running."

"And here I thought you couldn't hate anything," Numbuh 0.4 teased. Numbuh 0.5 rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses and took out a knife. Jamming it into the lock of the door, the shorter girl stepped back to view her handiwork.

"Well that should keep them out for awhile."

"Good work, Ogie. Alright, let's find that module."

"No need brats." Sector Z turned around slowly, only to be faced with 30 teenagers. "We were ordered to bring you to the boss lady anyway," the teen boy in front said from behind his ninja gauntlet. "Now put down your weapons."

"We can take them," Numbuh 0.3 hissed. Ashley narrowed her eyes at the force in front of her.

"We could… but not right now," she said and put her umbrella sword down. Her team froze for a second and even the teenager looked slightly surprised. Bruce's protest died on his lips as Numbuh 0.2 followed their leader as did the other two. Eventually Numbuh 0.3 set his carrot-nun-chucks down as well and raised his hands up in surrender.

"Alright kiddies," the teen boy motioned with his weapon. "After you."

Sector Z obeyed; sandwiched between the teenage bodies as they were led off deep within the belly of the junior high. It was a Saturday so other than the sounds of war from outside, the halls were still, not even a janitor to be seen.

"In here," the leader kicked a door open that led down to the basement. Sector Z carefully made their way down the cold stone steps, carefully to keep their footing in the dark.

One of the teenagers pulled out a flashlight and guided the whole troop through the maze of abandoned drama sets and broken desks.

"So, why would your boss want us?" asked Numbuh 0.2. He earned and smack to the side of his face.

"Quiet punk. We don't answered snot nosed brats."

David wiped the saliva from his mouth. "It was just a question," he muttered.

"Don't take it too seriously Numbuh 0.2," Ashley reassured her second-in-command. "I doubt this teenager has any clue what's really going on."

"Oh really?" the boy challenged. "Shows how much you know. I happen to know all about the module and the plan to throw out the Kids Next Door system."

Numbuh 0.1 exchanged worried glances with her team. Throw out the Kids Next Door?

"Getting rid of the Kids Next Door would just put kids in jeopardy from kid hating adults!" Numbuh 0.4 argued.

"No it wouldn't," someone answered. Their eyes turned to a corner of light in the dark basement. Numbuh 0.1 cursed silently. She was so preoccupied, she hadn't noticed where they were going in this place.

"Numbuh 300?" asked Numbuh 0.2.

"You must be Sector Z," he acknowledge politely. "I remember you from Sector W's tree house. I actually thought I would be seeing Sector P."

"They're kind of busy, and where is Sector W?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

"They're alright. We have them tied up in a closet where they can't get hurt."

"That's reassuring," Numbuh 0.3 scoffed. Numbuh 300 frowned a bit. "You have my word that they're safe."

"Well from what we understand, you're word isn't the best assurance," shot Numbuh 0.4.

Numbuh 300 shook his head and patted the wooden box in his hands. The module. "You don't understand. I didn't mean to lie or steal, but it was the only way. This will all turn out alright—"

"Numbuh 300, you're working with teenagers. You've convinced operatives to fight alongside these pizza faces against your own team and Supreme Leader! How is this going to turn out alright?" Numbuh 0.1 demanded, trying to make the younger boy see sense.

"Everything alright here, Pedro?" asked a voice from the darkness behind them. The teen girl from the tunnel stepped into the light, her Battle Ready Armor fully fit and polished.

"Si, everything's fine. I can handle this," Numbuh 300- Pedro insisted.

"Doesn't look like it," she snorted, looking Sector Z up and down. "What, did your little friends decide to send you in here before running away like babies?" she mocked.

"No," Numbuh 0.3 retorted. "They're back up top, kicking your little army's butt."

"Then why are you here?" she asked.

"Because we're the best," Numbuh 0.1 answered proudly.

The blonde teen leaned in closer to get nose-to-nose with Ashley. "Oh trust me, you haven't even seen the best yet."

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><p><strong>AN: Translation: a) Leave me alone, fuzz-for-brain. | So I figured Sector P was from Portugal, so Numbuh 488 is speaking very poor Portugese. The structure is terrible, so I apologize to those who actually speak the language.**


	16. II: Rebellion Part IV

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

Chapter 16  
><em>Rebellion Part IV<em>

The teenagers surrounded Sector Z in a circle, waiting for the team to make a break for it. The blonde teen paced back and forth in front of them, studying… watching…

"So, to what do I owe the honor of having the great Sector Z grace me with their presence?" she asked snidely, sitting in a broken old desk chair.

"I thought it was obvious since we showed up only fifteen minutes after you ran away from us," Numbuh 0.1 shot back.

"14 minutes and 36 seconds," said Numbuh 0.2 who looked at his watch.

The teen narrowed her eyes at them before randomly slamming her hand into a button on the chair arm.

"Hey what the—AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The floor lurched and shot up towards the ceiling, but there was no ceiling there. It had moved out of the way for them as the floor ascended through a tube. Numbuh 0.4 blinked and the next minute they were in a modern, open office.

"Where—" Numbuh 0.3 started but the teen girl cut him off.

"Principal's office. You can't get in it without his keys unless you know the secret passage from the ancient junior high," the teen explained and got up from the chair. "Impressive, huh? But probably not so much as the ancient school under the elementary back in Cleveland."

She moved around them with Numbuh 300 over to a teacher's desk outfitted with knobs and buttons. On it's top rested a wooden box with a telescope sticking out of one end and crank out another. The module from the treehouse.

All eyes from Sector Z locked onto it. "So _teenagers_," Numbuh 0.1 spat with disgust. "What do you all plan to do with that thing?"

The blonde smirked. "Why would I tell you brats? I'm not like every other adult villain who needs to rant and rave in order to be successful."

"Just like a teenager," Numbuh 0.3 sneered. "Has no idea what she's doing."

She glared furiously down at Sector Z, her knuckles turning white at her sides. "You have no idea how much I know!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

Numbuh 300 cleared his throat nervously, earning a hot glare from the teen before her icy composure once again froze over.

"… You especially have no idea how much I know about the Kids Next Door. After all, I was one of you."

It was Numbuh 0.1's turn to glare. "Why am I not surprised? A rogue operative."

"Becky Michaels, designation Numbuh 4721. Expertise in stealth and espionage," the teen recited.

"And a spy to boot, huh?" asked Numbuh 0.4.

"Oh don't act so self-righteous. Sector Z is notorious for always finishing the mission, by any means necessary."

"At least we're not traitors," snapped Numbuh 0.3.

"Be careful what you say about 'traitors'," the Becky warned. "You're surrounded by a lot of them," she said and flung the curtain open. Outside the window was a brilliantly close and clear view of the fighting. Teens and kids fighting together with a diversity of weapons against the small band of Kids Next Door operatives stuck behind the fallen S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and C.O.O.L.B.U.S.

"Oh, look at that. It looks like you're friends are losing. Thanks for bringing us the Supreme Leader, by the way," the teen taunted. "With him out of the way, it'll be much easier to bring the Kids Next Door down."

Numbuh 0.3 tried to leap at her, but Numbuh 0.1 held him back. "So that's the grand plan? Destroying the Kids Next Door?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

"Isn't it always? You kiddies have created so many enemies over the years, it's amazing you've lasted so long. I mean, it's not even about fighting adult tyranny anymore, is it? Adult villains don't care about oppressing kids anymore. They only care about bringing all Kids Next Door operatives down."

"Tell that to the homework villain we just whooped on last week," shot Numbuh 0.4.

"There are always exceptions," Numbuh 300 tried to justify.

"And you've been filling operative's brains with these lies?" Numbuh 0.2 asked, motioning to Numbuh 300. Pedro looked like he was about to speak, but the teenager cut him off.

"Are they lies?" Becky challenged. "Or are you just too blind to see the truth?"

"They're lies!" Bruce affirmed. "You teens have always had it out for us kids! You'd rather all kids were locked up someplace than deal with us daily."

"Oh really? Are teens out to get kids or is that just another lie you learned from the KND? Look, I haven't tied you up. I haven't had my guards throw you out or blast you with a gun. You can leave any time you feel like it."

"As long as we let you get away with this," finished Numbuh 0.1.

"Listen to me," said Numbuh 300. "This is a revolution. One where kids and teens can fight together against adult tyranny. One where there is no more system, and it only gets better."

"I doubt that. But what's with that module?" asked Numbuh 0.1. "What would a rogue operative possibly want with an old modified jack-in-the-box?"

"I'm not sure whether you're playing with me or just plain dumb. Probably the latter. This old jack-in-the-box- as you call it- will seal the end of the Kids Next Door."

"Oh for the love, what is it?" asked Numbuh 0.3.

"It's called the Recomissioning Module."

Sector Z froze and their eyes turned to the box on the desk. Becky smirked and picked it up, handling it like a delicate present.

"I can tell by your faces you're surprised."

"The name would make us suspicious," David admitted.

"You have a right to be for one of Numbuh 0's greatest creations. To think such a small box could hold the power to restore the memories of any decommissioned operative, even if they're adults. A safeguard against any mistakes, only to be used in the direst of need."

Sector Z's eyes followed the box, Numbuh 0.5 sent a nervous glance up to Numbuh 0.4. Becky continued to walk around them with the module.

"Oh wait, it gets better. Bring out the amplifier, nerds!"

Four geeky looking teenagers ran into the room, each equipped with glasses and pocket protectors. Behind them were two football players in full game uniform dragging behind them what looked like a laser from a sci-fi movie.

"What is that?" asked Numbuh 0.5.

"This is the amplifier. When I set the Recomissioning module into this puppy, it will magnify the module's power eleventy billion fold and restore the memory of every operative within a ten mile radius!" Becky declared and laughed.

Numbuh 0.1 shot a hasty glance at her team. This wasn't possible. Did they have any idea what they were doing? The situation had just turned into a whole new ball game.

"We need to get that module away. Kids Next Door! Battle Sta—" Numbuh 0.1 was grabbed by teen ninjas along with the rest of her team. Suddenly she was face to face with Becky.

"Sorry brats, but I can't have you ruining this moment. I'm about to make an army of former KND operatives with an axe to grind, and no one is going to stop me!"

Becky spun around and headed for the amplifier, Recomissioning module in hand. Ashley looked over at Numbuh 300.

"Numbuh 300, you have to stop her."

"No I don't," he answered. "I agree. Once the KND sees how stupid decommissioning is, how so many people miss the Kids Next Door… it will stop. There won't be any kid-hating adults if they remember their past. I can be a kid forever."

Ashley and David exchanged a knowing look. Being a kid forever… every child's dream. Becky stuck the Recomissioning module into the amplifier. The whirring of the device grew louder as 'Pop Goes the Weasel' began to play.

"Listen to me, Numbuh 300. It sounds like a good idea. It's a wonderful dream, but that's all it is! A dream!"

She glanced over at the revving machine before looking back at Numbuh 300. She now had to shout over the roar of the device's power.

"Time changes people! There will always be kid-hating adults and getting rid of the Kids Next Door isn't going to change that! To remember that much… it's painful!"

"How could you possibly know?!" Numbuh 300 shouted back. "Becky-"

"Becky's been lying to you, twerp!" shouted Bruce. "The moment she gets the Kids Next Door out of the way, the moment she turns on you!"

"Numbuh 300… Pedro!" David pleaded. "If you let this happen… if you let her win, it will only get worse for kids! Everyone has to grow up eventually! That's how it works!"

Becky started to get annoyed with their speeches and went over to Pedro's side. She squeezed his shoulder and shoved him away from Sector Z and closer to the Recomissioning module.

"Shut up! Pedro knows he's doing the right thing!"

"I know you're scared!" shouted Ashley. "That's okay, but you have to pull the module out!"

"Don't listen to them, Pedro!" Becky commanded.

"But-"

Becky turned on Pedro and aimed her gauntlet at him. "You move and I'll shoot!" she warned before aiming her gauntlet laser at Sector Z.

"I've had enough of you dorks! Say hasta lavista, Sector Z!"

Pedro looked from Becky to Sector Z and back to the teen. This wasn't right. This wasn't the way…

Numbuh 300 bit his lip and ran blindly at Becky. "NO!" he screamed and shoved her aside. Losing her balance, she misfired and blasted the amplifier. The device began to spark and the tune went faster and faster until it was blur of notes.

"It's gonna blow!" shouted one of the teen nerds.

"Everybody clear out!"

Numbuh 0.1 broke free from her captor and tackled Numbuh 300. "Get down!" The amplifier blew, sending metal and sparks everywhere.

Numbuh 0.2 coughed and swatted the smoke away from his face. "Numbuh 0.1? Ashley!"

"Shut up, I'm over here," his leader groaned. Numbuh 0.1's team got up one by one and went over to their leader. Ashley was flat on her back with Numbuh 300 beside. The older boy coughed and gagged from the smoke.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Numbuh 0.5.

"I think so," answered Numbuh 0.4, "but she's out." He pointed to Becky who lay motionless on the ground.

"That Recomissioning module's out too," said Numbuh 0.2. He stood above the amplifier and pulled the module out from it's resting place. The device broke apart into springs and screws, the insides and booger exposed.

Numbuh 0.1 looked out of the window at the fighting outside. Numbuh 100 and the others were still holding their own.

"We need to help them!"

"Don't worry," Numbuh 300 coughed. "I can take care of this." He grabbed the PA microphone and flipped the switch.

"STOP!" he shouted into the intercom, the echoes of the powerful scream reverberated throughout the school and grounds. Teen and kid alike skidded to a halt and looked to the school.

"The teenagers have double crossed us! Kids Next Door! Battle Stations!" Pedro's voice called through the speakers. Immediately there were battle cries and the fooled operatives began chasing off the teenagers and teen ninjas. Sector Z cheered and high-fived as the Junior High Rebellion drew to an end before their very eyes.

Numbuh 300 wrung his hands and stepped away from the desk, looking out and sighing. Sector Z gathered around him.

"I truly thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"It's okay, man. Those teens always try to mess with kids' heads," said Numbuh 0.3,

"You just stopped the rebellion," said Numbuh 0.2.

"And saved us," added Numbuh 0.5.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

"I wish I could take all of this back. I wish I could forget this ever happened," Numbuh 300 sad sadly. "Next week is my 13th birthday. I did all of this, the alliance, stealing the module, everything… just so that I could remember. I guess you were right," he said to Numbuh 0.1. "Remembering is painful."

"Just don't let that change you. You can still be an adult and a kid," said Numbuh 0.1.

"What?" Numbuh 300 asked, confused.

She shrugged. "A great kid once told me: 'There isn't a solution nor does there need to be one. People grow up, that's the way it is. And the Kids Next Door isn't there to stop people from growing up, it's to stop adults who have lost all sense of childishness that they will stop at nothing to ruin it for those who still have some. Don't mind growing up. It'll just be a new adventure."

Numbuh 300 tilted his head as he thought about it. "I never thought of it that way before."

"Neither did we," she said meaningfully. The other nodded, remembering Numbuh 0's words as clear as if he was there with them.

"But how am I going to face my team again?"

"You'll figure something out," Ashley answered and clapped him on the back. They turned and began heading back for the crashed vehicles where Numbuh 100 and the rest were rounding up the other not-so-rogue-anymore kids.

Numbuh 300 was decommissioned a week later and returned to Portugal, but not before reconciling with his team. His new perspective somehow stuck and carried over to his next adventure where he became a pediatrician and, unlike most doctors, he was loved by his patients. The Recomissioning module was harmless and put on display in the Kids Next Door Seriously Cool Museum of Artifacts and Stuff where it was to remind kids that decommissioning is not so bad, as proven by the only people who would ever know what it was to be like to never grow up.

**End Transmission**

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><p><strong>AN: Alright everyone, I hope it was worth the wait. No, this isn't the end either… that's still coming, but this is the end of a section. No we move on to another. So explains the Great Junior High Rebellion of '99, as from my point of view. Hey, leave a review and tell me what you thought. I love your guys' reviews.**

**Also, finals are coming so I may be on a break, but I should have some good amount of time over Christmas break to write… hopefully if work doesn't get in the way. It may be awhile before the next post because I am also moving forward in my art and drawings.**

**Third: A little poll. Who would like to see art based off of my KND stories What Happened to Sector Z and Operation U.N.I.T.E. I do take ideas and requests.**

**See you all later and thank you for being awesome!**

**~Pen**


	17. II: Ice Cream

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: And I am back! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year. I know I did. And because I am a horrible person who makes you all wait while I try and figure out what the heck I'm writing, I give you a decently long chapter. Consider it a late Christmas present and a 'Don't kill me' offering. **

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><p>Chapter 17<br>Ice Cream

A sudden alert rang throughout the whole of Sector Z's tree house, arousing its unsuspecting inhabitants from their lazy Saturday afternoon. Numbuh 0.2 jumped over the couch and slid down a pole that was concealed behind the TV where he landed with a firm thump on the floorboards below.

"What's the situation Numbuh 0.1?" he asked as the rest of Sector Z came in to the meeting room from different entrances.

Numbuh 0.1 ripped a long piece of perforated red paper and looked the mission specs up and down. "It looks like we've got a mission boys and girls!" she announced. Bruce met his fist with the palm of his other hand.

"It's about time. I was beginning to think moon base had forgotten about us."

"It's only been a week, Numbuh 0.3," Numbuh 0.5 stated flatly.

Numbuh 0.3 rolled his eyes at the shorter girl before looking to his leader. "So? What does it say?"

"Moon base wants some intel on a new ice cream factory that has been recently built around here," Ashley summarized. "It looks like they're only selling ice cream to 'responsible' adults," she snickered.

"Ice cream? I thought the Kid/Adults Give and Take treaty was still active?" asked Numbuh 0.4.

"Well it looks like these adults are breaking that agreement, but let's go find out… you know, just to make sure," she hinted.

Her team smirked, catching on to her lead and soon made a break for the hangar bay. Numbuhs 0.2 and 0.4 fired up the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and the operatives were soon soaring through the air.

"So where is this factory?"

"The specs say that the Tasty Taste Ice Cream Factory is somewhere west of here, near Cleveland."

"We haven't been there in a while," noted Numbuh 0.4.

"We haven't needed to. Sector V usually has a good handle on that area."

"Maybe we should stop in on Numbuh 11, just to bug her," teased Numbuh 0.3.

"How about not," answered Numbuh 0.1.

"Give Bruce a break, Ashley. He just wants to see his girlfriend," Numbuh 0.4 jeered at his friend. Bruce scowled and lowered his beret.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Brucey and Cree, sittin in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Lenny sang. Bruce growled and jumped up to pounce before Numbuh 0.1 intervened and slammed him back into his seat.

"Chill, Bruce. Lenny, shut it!"

"Yes, sir."

Muttering under his breath about not liking girls, Numbuh 0.3 went back to watching for any enemies on the radar. There was an ice cream truck driving below them.

"Ooh, can we stop for ice cream, Numbuh 0.1?" asked Ogie.

"Maybe after the mission Numbuh 0.5."

"Did you bring your sprinkles?" asked Numbuh 0.2.

Ogie shrugged, "Yes, but I don't know if I'll have to use them or not. It depends on if it's good ice cream."

"It doesn't sound too good," said Numbuh 0.4. "If they're only selling to adults then I bet it's that horrible, gross stuff you get served at uptight, fancy restaurants or something."

"There goes another truck," said Numbuh 0.3 aloud.

"Another one?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

"Uh, Numbuh 0.1? You may want to take a look at this."

Ashley stepped over to the radar and frowned. Multiple bleeps appeared under them, all heading in the same direction.

"I'll bet my gum ration they're heading for the factory. Numbuh 0.2?"

"Already on it Numbuh 0.1," answered David, turning the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. in mid-air and following the multitude of ice cream trucks. They didn't have long to go when a giant factory loomed into view over the horizon. It was huge and ugly with a monsterous ice cream cone on top. In neon bright lettering read: _Tasty Taste Ice Cream_. The parking lot at the front of the factory was filled with ice cream trucks driven by mean looking men.

"Well, that doesn't look good," Numbuh 0.2 stated simply.

"How the heck are we supposed to get in there?" exclaimed Numbuh 0.3.

"Quietly," Numbuh 0.1 replied. "Numbuh 0.2, take us around the side and park the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. a good hundred yards from the building."

"Yes, sir."

The S.C.A.M.P.E.R. veered off from the mass of ice cream trucks to a more remote area behind the building. Numbuh 0.2 parked the transport behind some large bushes that were guarded by trees so no one would be alert to their presence.

"What if they caught us coming in?" asked Ogie as they ran to a back access door for employees only.

"Then we'll just have to take our chances. Our mission is reconnaissance only, so try not to get caught," said Ashley giving a pointed look to her boys. Numbuh 0.5 giggled a little before pulling out a butter knife from her utensils belt.

"Think you can get it open?" asked Numbuh 0.4.

As an answer, Ogie sprung the lock cleanly and smiled up at her best friend. "You would doubt me?"

Lenny grinned and slid past her into the hall. It was dark and cold with stalactites of ice hanging from above.

"All clear," he informed his team. "Looks like no one really uses this hallway."

"Let's still be on our guard. It would be nice if this could just be a routine stakeout but so far that hasn't been our luck," said Numbuh 0.1. She climbed in with the rest of her team and they proceeded quietly down the hallway.

Numbuh 0.3 shivered. "Crud it's cold in here."

"Well it _is_ an ice cream factory," Numbuh 0.2 pointed out.

"Hold up," Numbuh 0.4 whispered and held up his boxing-gloved hand. Sector Z got up against the darker side of the wall and froze.

"What is it Numbuh 0.4?" asked Numbuh 0.1.

Lenny tilted his head around a corner which led to another hallway. "I thought I heard footsteps."

Numbuh 0.1 nodded, somersaulted to the other side of their current hallway with umbrella-sword at the ready. She looked out her end while Numbuh 0.4 looked towards his.

"All clear," she said.

"This way too, but I swore I could've heard footsteps."

"Maybe it's the echo in his hears from that silly helmet," Numbuh 0.3 snickered earning equal glares from Lenny and Ashley. Bruce noticed Ashley's similar helmet and looked down. "Sorry Numbuh 0.1."

"Uh-huh. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The kids moved on towards the opposite direction from the shadow that lurked around to the left. He pulled out his communicator and pressed a side button to speak.<p>

"Sir, we have intruders just like you said. It looks like they're Kids Next Door."

The reply was a sinister chuckle. "Send a squad to deal with them."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>Sector Z made their way through a maze of hallways until they reached a door called<em> Records<em>.

"Bingo."

"The records department?" asked Numbuh 0.3.

"It's the best place to start looking for evidence. All sales to who and how much," added Numbuh 0.2.

Numbuh 0.5 got ready to perform her lock picking magic, but when she touched the door handle it swung open freely.

"That's weird," Numbuh 0.4 commented. Numbuh 0.3 frowned and pulled out his Carrot Nun-Chucks.

"I don't like this. It's too easy."

"Agreed, but this is the best chance we've got," said Numbuh 0.1. "Bruce, guard the door. Tell us the moment someone gets within breathing distance of this place."

"Aye aye, Numbuh 0.1."

"Everybody else, fan out and try and find some evidence. Recent sale receipts, transaction orders, anything. I want to know who this ice cream is being sold to."

Her team saluted and carried out her order, searching through the many office drawers of paperwork, scanning long lists of figures and names. A lot of big companies stuck out at Numbuh 0.2 as he looked through a list of figures, but there was no evidence that they _weren't_ selling ice cream to kids.

There was plenty of inventory and requisitions for the ice cream trucks…

"I'm not seeing anything, Numbuh 0.1."

"Me neither. All these papers here are just changing the company's name from Tasty Treat Tapioca to Tasty Taste Ice Cream," said Numbuh 0.5.

"Wait a second," said Numbuh 0.1, "what was that?"

"They changed their name," answered Ogie.

"Yeah, but they also changed their product." Ashley shuddered at the thought of tapioca as dim memories of the sticky snack haunted the back of her mind. "Why would they go from tapioca to ice cream?"

"Maybe because ice cream is better?" Numbuh 0.4 offered. Numbuh 0.1 didn't look sold.

"I don't know. It doesn't feel that simple… moving from a product mostly for seniors to one for kids?"

"It makes it sound like this factory sympathizes with kids more than we thought," said Numbuh 0.2.

"But then why would Headquarters suspect them of otherwise."

"Psst, we have company," Bruce hissed and closed the door. The operatives hid amongst the shadows and waited as two silhouettes passed by the door.

"And she said my tie didn't match my suit, but what could I do?"

"I know, my wife has been getting after me about my appearance. The pressures of executive life, I guess."

The two men's voices faded as they got further and further away until Ashley felt it safe enough to move again.

"Good eye, Bruce," she complimented and went to open the door. The door swung open and in front of them was a squad of ice cream men aiming ice cream themed guns right at Sector Z. Numbuh 0.1 slammed the door shut and leaned against it.

"I take that back," she muttered.

"How the heck did they all get there?" Numbuh 0.4 exclaimed, pulling his electrified boxing gloves.

"They weren't there three seconds ago!" Bruce shouted, frustrated. The shorter blond shoved himself alongside his leader to hold the door back. The militaristic ice cream men began barrading and pushing against the door, chortling cruelly and shouting.

"Numbuh 0.4, find us a way out," ordered Numbuh 0.1. Lenny saluted and began scanning the room.

"Heating duct at 4 o clock, sir," he answered as he and Numbuh 0.2 began piling things up so that they could climb up through the vent.

"You first Numbuh 0.5," said Numbuh 0.4. With a little help from the boys she was able to climb up over filing cabinets and squeeze into the duct.

"Stay with her, Numbuh 0.4," said Numbuh 0.2. "I'll make sure Bruce and Ashley follow."

Lenny nodded and crawled into the duct after Ogie. David looked over to his friends stuck at the door.

"You next Numbuh 0.3," said Numbuh 0.2.

"This door will give way if one of us leaves," he forced through gritted teeth as he pushed against the door with all effort.

"Go, Numbuh 0.3!" Numbuh 0.1 ordered, taking a bruising blow from the warring door to the shoulder. Bruce growled and gave the door one last push into the door and used the momentum to push his legs up the filing cabinets and into the duct.

Numbuh 0.1 swung around, lifted her umbrella- sword high above her head and smashed it down on the door knob. The brass knob fell from place and clattered onto the cement floor. There was also a harser clatter from the otherside.

"Blasted kids broke the door!" one of the delivery men shouted angrily.

"Bust it open!" yelled another.

"Go, David! That won't hold them for long!"

Numbuh 0.2 obeyed, but he didn't move far from the duct entrance and watched as his leader ran towards the duct. The door flew off from it's hinges and collided with some filing cabinets, spraying papers and wood splinters everywhere. Ashley ducked and dodged, scaled the filing cabinets and jumped into the duct, a flood of ice cream men on her tail.

"Move!" she shouted. Sector Z crawled as fast as they could to at least get away from the men.

"Do we know where we're going?" called Numbuh 0.3 over the echoing voices of ice cream men.

"No," Numbuh 0.5 called back simply. Numbuh 0.1 looked out another vent and saw another dark office.

"Just keep moving and we'll figure some way out," said Numbuh 0.2.

Numbuh 0.1 agreed and they kept crawling, mostly undisturbed as their pursuers were too busy arguing on how to follow them. They finally came to a fork in the ducts, one leading to the left and one to the right.

"Which way?" asked Numbuh 0.4.

"I see light coming from the right. Maybe it's outside?"

"Maybe. Alright, Numbuh 0.5, take us right," said Numbuh 0.1.

"Alright," the chubbier girl called back and turned right. They didn't have long to crawl before they came to a dead end and a vent where they light streamed in from. Numbuh 0.5 peeked out of the vent and groaned.

"Oh no."

"What?" asked Numbuh 0.3. He shoved his way up to the front and looked through the vent slits. "Oh well that's just great. Some kind of light at the end of the tunnel this was."

"What's wrong?" Numbuh 0.1 inquired.

Numbuh 0.4 took off his helmet and rubbed the sweat from his brow. "This isn't good."

"What is it?!" demanded Ashley.

David was able to crane his neck and see what the anguish was about. Immediately his palm met his face and slid down to his chin. "We're in the ice cream men's hangar."


	18. II: Beginning of the End

**What Happened to Sector Z**

**A/N: Yeah... I don't think I'm going to apologize (though I should) because I can no longer promise that these long spaces in between chapters won't happen anymore. They most likely will... even though there are only two chapters left. Yes you read correctly: TWO CHAPTERS LEFT! Everyone to their starting positions for the beginning of the end. Thanks for the reviews from: numbuh435spiritsong, iNatsuBlueCyan789, Eric Cartman forever, FrittzyCrazy, World1000, Waterfall13, and dannyphantomkndlover13.  
><strong>

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><p>Chapter 18<br>The Beginning of the End

"What?" Numbuh 0.1 demanded, trying to peek a glimpse of their situation.

"We're in the duct above the hangar, sir," said Numbuh 0.2.

"The place is filled with cruddy ice cream men," said Numbuh 0.4.

"What do we do now, Numbuh 0.1?" asked Numbuh 0.3.

Ashley frowned, taking in her options as the rumbling of chasing ice cream men drew closer behind them.

"Turn around everyone, we'll go the other way," she ordered before crawling the other way. Her team was quick on her tail when they finally got to the three-way cross in the air ducts. Shouts from their pursuers grew louder and louder signaling their closing proximity.

They passed the three-way cross with ease and scrambled for the opposite direction when Ogie suddenly yelped.

"Aha! Gotcha!" shouted a husky, deep voice. Numbuh 0.1 spun around as best she could within the duct and saw Numbuh 0.5 struggling against a meaty hand that was attached to any even meaty, bearded face.

"Come here you little brat!"

Numbuh 0.1 crawled forward and jabbed her umbrella sword's end into his eye. The ice cream man bellowed in pain and fell backward, banging his head against the duct. Numbuh 0.5 pulled her boot loose and hurriedly caught up with the rest of the sector, Numbuh 0.1 close behind.

"You okay, Ogie?" asked Lenny.

"Yeah, fine thanks to Ashley." She nodded a silent thank you to her leader. Numbuh 0.1 nodded back and squeezed past towards the front.

"Let's go."

Sector Z continued moving forward away from the moans and shouts from the ice cream men. "Keep moving guys!" Numbuh 0.3 barked.

"Ugh… who let one loose?" Numbuh 0.4 muttered and covered his nose.

"What are you talking about?"

"That smell," he answered. Numbuh 0.1 frowned and sniffed the air before reeling back and gagging.

"Oh, that's g-g-gross… oh…"

"Numbuh 0.1?" David slurred.

"That's disgusting," Numbuh 0.3 moaned and collapsed in the duct. Ashley knelt there as one by one her team collapsed and passed out.

"Its slee … sleep… sleeping g-gas…" she whispered and rolled over as everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Ashley? Ashley, you okay?" whispered Numbuh 0.2.<p>

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," she answered weakly. "Ugh, I've got a killer headache though. What about everybody else?"

"Still out. I'm sorry Numbuh 0.1, I should've known it was a trap."

Numbuh 0.1 craned her neck around to try and see him. "Don't blame yourself, David. None of us knew." She sighed and looked around to get a bearing on where they were. It was pretty dark except for the dimly lit ceiling lights. The room they were stuck in was gigantic. Numbuh 0.1 could just make out the outline of a fireplace, a spacious desk and some conspicuous shapes that were hanging from the wall.

"What's our status, Numbuh 0.2?"

Even though Numbuh 0.2 was sitting somewhere behind her, she could here her second-in-command's knowing smirk.

"I see three good escape points _if_ we can get untied."

"If we can get untied? Alright, then we'll just need to wait right now for—"

"Us?" Numbuh 0.3 finished groggily. Numbuh 0.1 looked over and saw the shorter blond parked next to her. To the right of him was Numbuh 0.5 and behind her was Numbuh 0.4. All three were beginning to shake out of it.

"Nice to have you back, Numbuh 0.3," Numbuh 0.1 said.

"It doesn't feel too nice to be back," he mumbled. "What hit me? A rainbow monkey filled with cinderblocks?"

"Did you have a nice nap, Numbuh 0.3?" Numbuh 0.2 teased.

"Stuff it, David. David?" Bruce looked around, looking for the source of Numbuh 0.2's voice.

"He's behind us. And it was knock out gas."

"We kind of guessed," Numbuh 0.4 muttered sourly. "I just wish I could rub my head."

"What is this place, anyway?" asked Numbuh 0.5 just as a loud click resonated through the vast room.

"I think we're about to find out," whispered Numbuh 0.1 as the door off to the side swung open, casting an unwelcome light over the captured sector. A dark silhouette overshadowed the light as a figure walked in. Whoever it was left the door wide open.

"Make that four," Numbuh 0.2 corrected.

Numbuh 0.1 nodded and whispered, "On three, we all jump up together and make a break for it through the door."

She didn't get a chance to see if her team affirmed her order when the stranger walked up to them and snapped his fingers. Suddenly lights flared up throughout the room and a hearty fire erupted in the fireplace.

"So this is the famous Sector Z," he started in a smooth, business-like voice. "A pleasure."

The members of Sector Z couldn't form a witty comeback as they stared at the stranger. He was an adult, completely wrapped in black without a seam in sight. His eyes glowed a terrible yellow and his entire form, including his black pipe, was outlined in a red halo. It was as if Hell was standing before them.

Numbuh 0.1 snapped out of her stupor and choked out, "Glad you've heard of us," though it wasn't as strong as she hoped it would be.

_Where have we seen something like this_, she thought. _He looks so familiar… like a nightmare we wanted to forget._

Numbuh 0.3 seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The man clenched his hand to his chest, supposedly where his heart was, and answered sarcastically, "Oh I'm so hurt. The great Sector Z doesn't remember me."

_So we DO know him._

"Well," he continued, "we will get to that later. For now, you can know me as the person whose factory you broke into."

"You're the owner of the Tasty Taste Ice cream factory?" asked Numbuh 0.5.

"In a matter of speaking. It's a little too complicated for little _kids_ to understand."

Numbuh 0.3 made a move to try and sock the adult standing over him, and he would've succeeded if not for the bonds holding him down. Numbuh 0.1 narrowed her eyes and hissed, "One."

"So what, you've brought us here to scare?" Numbuh 0.4 inquired.

"So we won't tell everyone that you broke the give and take treaty?" challenged Numbuh 0.2.

"We don't scare easily," Numbuh 0.3 finished threateningly.

"Oh no, I've been planning on inviting you here for some time," claimed the stranger, his intimidating demeanor shifting to creepy.

"Some invitation," Numbuh 0.1 snorted before whispering, "Two."

The situation became all to confusing and way too weird, yet scarily familiar. The way his eyes glowed… his silhouette gleamed like smoldering coals… his cruel demeanor and stressed words.

"I am truly surprised you all can't figure this all out. Almost flabbergasted," he taunted with a shake of his hands. The stranger began to circle around them.

"Seems like with your aging, you also got rid of your memories," he laughed haughtily. But this was no snicker or chuckle. This was a deep, resonating, evil laugh that would spark the most dormant memories and send chills up the bravest spine.

Black… fire… anger… factories… TAPIOCA…

"Grandfather!" they shouted in unison, each operative stunned and horrified beyond expression.

He began to clap slowly, finally circling completely around to face Sector Z. "Congratulations on finally figuring it out. I must say I am disappointed that the great Sector Z of the infamous Kids Next Door took so long to piece it all together."

He chuckled darkly, as though laughing at an unspoken joke. "Though I much prefer the name Father. It is much more fitting since I'm NOT Grandfather."

"BEN?!" the operatives asked in unified shock.

Father stopped, his pipe was still when suddenly the silhouette started to peel away from his body. As it disappeared, all that was left was a man with dark hair dressed in a white button up shirt held together by suspenders. His fierce yellow eyes were guarded behind a pair of thick brimmed glasses.

"Surprised?" Even his voice had changed from the stressed, dark tones to an equally mean nasally one.

"Benedict Uno, what's happened to you?" Numbuh 0.1 asked in a low voice.

The adult Ben's smirk grew. "What's happened to me? I should ask the same thing of you. You know, the last time I saw you all I do believe you were older than me. Now the tables have turned." His pipe twitched.

Numbuh 0.1 felt herself flinch, but she quickly recovered. No one was to know about their secret, but that notion seemed to fly out the window now that there was a witness to how old they really were.

Numbuh 0.3 began to squirm behind the ropes. "Just wait until I get free," he threatened. Numbuh 0.1 turned and hushed him.

"You don't know anything, Ben," said Numbuh 0.2.

"I think I do," Ben answered haughtily. "I can only assume you managed to find a way to cheat adulthood, maybe even death. When Monty said you were geniuses-" he snickered, "well I guess he was right."

"You haven't even scratched the surface," Numbuh 0.4 challenged. Ben shrugged, uninterested.

"I'm pretty sure I have it figured out. The great Sector Z. So brave, so resourceful. So scared that they had to defy nature to avoid becoming everything that you've fought against," he jeered.

"Scared?" Numbuh 0.3 scoffed. "If I recall, Benny, it was you who ran like a coward while we and Numbuh 0 stopped you 'Pappy'."

Ben's pipe twitched a little in irritation, but he amended his reaction with his Pappy's classic sneer.

"And yet here we are," he said, his voice rising. "Tell me, did it scare you so much- what Grandfather could potentially do- that you had to con death?"

"Think what you like, Ben. But we're still the same and it looks like you are too," Numbuh 0.2 said coolly.

"Yeah," Numbuh 0.3 added, "You're still a whiney wimp!"

"ENOUGH!" Ben screeched, his silhouette sprung back to his features in an eruption of fire and anger.

"THREE!" shouted Numbuh 0.1. Sector Z jumped up as one and ran like the were in a three legged race towards the door.

"STOP THEM!" Father bellowed. Numbuh 0.2 looked back and caught sight of a tidal wave of fire licking at their heels.

"RUN!"

Father wasn't that far behind them, his figure grew and twisted. His neck elongated as did his nose and mouth into a snout and leathery bat-like wings burst from his shoulders.

Sector Z was able to skid into a large lounge. "Did we lose him?" Numbuh 0.4 huffed.

A distant roar echoed from the hallway they just came from. "Not yet," answered Numbuh 0.1. "Quick, we need to find something sharp and get free."

"I have an idea!" Numbuh 0.5 exclaimed. "To the kitchen!"

"Where is the kitchen?" asked Numbuh 0.3.

"I don't know. But we'll find it eventually. Come on!" Ogie pulled towards the side and the rest couldn't do anything but follow her. They ran through a side door from the spacious lounge and landed straight in a shining room full of state of the art cookware.

"Well that was easy enough," Numbuh 0.2 commented.

"No time. Quick Ogie, find a knife," ordered Numbuh 0.1.

"Here's one," she nodded to a large cleaver that was left beside a wooden cutting board. Numbuh 0.2, being the skinniest of the team, was able to get one hand free after a squirm and struggle. The taller operative reached over and grabbed the knife, making quick work of the ropes that bound them together.

"Great work, team," complimented Numbuh 0.1. "Now we need to find our weapons and get the heck out of here."

"That's going to be a little hard," said Numbuh 0.4 from the doorway.

"Why's that?"

"Because Father is right outside in the lounge."

Numbuh 0.3 slapped his palm to his forehead out of frustration. "Crud."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Come on, we all know this isn't going to end well. ;D Don't forget to leave a review.**


	19. II: Delightfulization

**What Happened to Sector Z?**

**A/N: I DID IT! It was heartbreaking and stomach-wrenching and I wanted to cry, but I did finally did it… **

Chapter 19  
>Delightfulization<p>

"I don't remember Grandfather ever being able to change his shape like that," Numbuh 0.4 panted.

"New powers? Generation difference? Who cares? We just need to get out of here," Numbuh 0.1 whispered back.

"And we're sitting ducks without our weapons," said Numbuh 0.3.

"Thanks Bruce, like I don't already know we're in trouble." Numbuh 0.1 rolled her eyes and looked at Numuh 0.2.

"Come out come out wherever you are Kids Next Door!" Father taunted from the other side of the door. His giant footsteps shook the kitchen with ever stomp. Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Any plans, Numbuh 0.1?" asked David.

Numbuh 0.1 glared at the door where the looming footsteps emanated from. "Yeah, shut up and get down," she shushed and dove beneath the countertop. Numbuh 0.2 gaped for a second before following his leader suite and crammed himself in a dark corner of the kitchen. The others found hiding places, each waiting for Numbuh 0.1 to give them a signal for a plan; each watching the door that was their protection and their condemnation.

"You can't hide forever," Father began to jeer. Ogie looked to Ashley with big eyes; eyes full of fear behind her dark rimmed glasses.

'What does he want?' she mouthed silently. Numbuh 0.1 remained silent. She couldn't answer but there were so many. Revenge for his father's legacy? Wanting to destroy what his brother built? Insanity? Who knew what went on behind those yellow eyes?

"I don't have all day, Sector Z. Come on out and play! I thought that's what kids liked to do. Play and goof off and run around and beg and eat while adults are stuck doing all the work!"

Numbuh 0.2 scrunched his face in frustration trying to figure out the psychotic adult's ravings. Was that Father's plan? To avenge the plight of the adults like they were trying to protect kids from adult tyranny?

"Oh, but I have plans! Plans that will tip the balances! Plans that will put adults where they should be! ON TOP! And no more snot-nosed brats will ever complain again!"

Sector Z strained to listen to anymore, but it seemed Father had gone quiet. Numbuh 0.1 sighed inwardly. Their only chance was for Father to think they weren't there and then they could escape, or at least find some way to call for backup.

The footsteps were gone, the tremors ceased, and the operatives let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Alright guys," Numbuh 0.1 whispered to her sector. "Move out—"

"FOUND YOU!"

BAM! The door flew open and a wall of flames swept into the kitchen, shoving the unaware operatives down to the ground. Numbuh 0.2 was up on his knees first, his hat flung aside and alight from the explosion of fire.

A dark claw reached in and wrapped itself around Numbuh 0.3. "Gotcha!" Father laughed, swiftly recalling his clawed arm and sending Bruce flying through the air and onto the plush couch. The short blond passed out with a groan from the impact.

"BRUCE!" Lenny shouted and rant towards Father, sweeping at the monster's knees with a kick and sending the dragon-like adult backwards.

"Kids Next Door!" Ashley coughed. "GO!"

Numbuh 0.2 took a broom and began maneuvering around Father, swatting at him whenever Father's back was turned. Numbuh 0.5 had found some forks which she parried and blocked Father's blows while Numbuh 0.4 sent punches towards the adult's snout. Numbuh 0.1 was going head on, jumping from the ground to the wall to the chandelier and on top of Father's head. She kicked him in the forehead, sending him reeling as she back flipped safely to the ground.

"Run!"

"I'll get Bruce!" called David. He turned on his heel and ran toward the couch but was cut off and hurled sideways by a fireball. Ashley spun around to see Father back on his feet, his hand smoldering from the discharge. He had shaped back into a human form, but it was three times the size of his original height.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" shouted Father. "That you could just quiver and hide and escape just like that?" he snapped his fingers.

"I don't see any of us quivering!" Numbuh 0.1 barked back.

Father grew a flame in the palm of his hand. "Oh, you should be."

"HEEYAH!" Numbuh 0.4 roared, leaping from his position to roundhouse kick Father in the face, but he never made contact. Father caught the boy in mid-air and threw him curtailing into Numbuh 0.5.

There was no one left except Numbuh 0.1.

"I'm not going down without a fight!"

"I don't expect you to," Father answered and swiped her up in his abnormally large hand. The black silhouette didn't feel like skin. It didn't feel like any fabric or material on the planet. It was smooth as silk yet was more like rubber and ink combined. It was unsettling.

Ashley squirmed in his grip, biting and kicking; anything to get away. Father ignored her as a minor pest and continued to pick up the rest of her unconscious team. With thundering footsteps he managed to get them all back into the large, dark study and threw them in a corner before erecting a cage entirely made of fire. Numbuh 0.1 ran towards it, but had to stop and reel back from the oppressing heat that threatened to singe her hands.

"Let us out of here, Ben!" she demanded.

"Fat chance!" he cackled. Walking to the end of the spacious den, Father threw on a light switch.

"NOW! Where were we?"

A single spot light shone upon an odd looking chamber, made with a metallic cylinder and a glass door outfitted with a steel lock. From the sides were tubes and chambers that intertwined with each other until they reached a large box-like machine, complete with blinking buttons and lights, dials and switches.

"What's that?" Numbuh 0.1 inquired, tilting her head to get a better look at the odd machine.

"An experiment that- if it works- could change the course of destiny!" Father declared dramatically, shrinking back to average size. And for the moment, Father ignored his trapped prey and began pushing buttons and twisting dials. Each action from him caused the machine to moan and hiss, the crescendo of its hum alerting everyone within earshot that it was 'warming up'.

Numbuh 0.5 groaned and turned over, her dark eyes blinking open. "Numbuh 0.1, what's happening?"

"I don't know," the older girl answered in a hoarse whisper. "But I don't like it at all. We've gotta get out of here."

"It's so hot," the shorter girl whimpered.

"No, it's going to be okay," Ashley tried to soothe her best friend. "There's always a way out."

"Way out," Numbuh 0.2 mumbled. "I've found… 3… no…"

"Numbuh 0.2?" asked Numbuh 0.1 hopefully, turning over to help David. "Snap to soldier," she snapped her fingers in front of her second-in-command's eyes.

"I'm here… ugh… what's with the fire?"

"It's our cage. Do you think you can get us out?"

"I-I don't know. Ropes and bars are one thing, but—"

"It looks like everything's in order," said Father as he walked up to the blazing cell. Clapping his hands together, his pipe twitched as he asked, "Who wants to go first?"

"Fat chance," challenged Numbuh 0.1, mimicking her captor's words.

Father's glowing eyes narrowed. "Fine, we'll do it the hard way." He stomped over to his desk and slammed a finger down on the intercom button.

"Ten ice cream men in my study. NOW!"

Almost immediately, ten colorfully dressed ice cream truck drivers burst through the door and surrounded the cage of fire.

Father waved his hand and the flames evaporated, only to have Sector Z wrangled by burly ice cream men. "Tie 'em up," ordered Father. They obeyed and Sector Z was tied together and thrown into the glass chamber, two still groggy and three kicking and fighting as best as possible.

"Stop it! What are you doing?!" Numbuh 0.2 demanded.

"Let go!" shouted Numbuh 0.1.

"Oh, you five are going to be my guinea pigs. Not too long ago I came across a formula for turning nasty brats into perfect children."

"Perfect children?" asked Numbuh 0.5.

"YES! Children who will do as they're told! Children who won't whine or complain or waste their time playing silly games! Perfectly delightful, isn't it?"

"That's… that's horrible."

Though the silhouette hid any emotion from Father's face, Numbuh 0.1 could almost make out a smirk. A horribly twisted smirk.

Sliding with a hiss, the door to the chamber sealed itself and locked. Sector Z was trapped.

"Numbuh 0.1? What's going on?" Numbuh 0.3 asked, the sound of the door jolting him and Numbuh 0.4 awake.

"We're in trouble Bruce. Everyone, try and fine a weak point," she ordered. They tried scrambling around, but could barely move their hands let alone get past each other.

"It's too crammed!"

"I'll try and break down the door!" Numbuh 0.3 asserted.

Numbuh 0.4 tried to stop him. "I don't think that's a good-"

Numbuh 0.3 sent his fist flying to the glass, but all that was broken was his knuckles.

"-idea…" Lenny sighed.

"Nice try Numbuh 0.3," Ogie encouraged, but encouragement wasn't enough to soothe the throbbing pain flying through his hand.

"ARE YOU READY?" Father called.

"Ben, why are you doing this?"

"Why? WHY!?" He shouted, fire erupting around his person. "Because ALL MY LIFE I have had to deal with people who were better than me. You have no idea what Monty did to me! What YOU did to me! I could survive in a world where Grandfather ruled. At least I was left alone out of fear of Grandfather! But when Dad lost his powers and his memory, there was nothing to stop the kids from going after ME! Monty got the better end of the deal; he was able to live with Mom in England! Only because he was the oldest; the favorite! I was stuck living with a workaholic father who wanted nothing to do with his weak son! No friends! No family! Why Else Would I Be Doing This?! FOR VENGEANCE!"

The fire grew so hot and so immense, the ice cream lackies were forced to flee to the back of the room. Sector Z could feel the burning anger from Father's tantrum, yet the glass between them remained undaunted.

"And once I'm done with you, I'm going after my brother's precious Kids Next Door! And the best part is, neither him nor you will ever remember them and you'll be powerless to stop me!" He began laughing again, his laughter loud and ferocious enough to shake the foundations of the mansion.

Taking a moment to breathe again, his laughter stopped and Father grabbed the large switch on the side of the machine. "So let the party begin! Sector Z! Prepare to be… DELIGHTFULIZED!" He threw the switch down. The machine revved with new vigor as energy rushed from the machine to the chamber.

"Guys, I think I have an idea," Numbuh 0.2 gasped, now shoved in the back. "This chamber isn't completely attached. If we rock the cylinder, we could loosen it enough to roll out of here."

"Do it!" Numbuh 0.1 ordered. The kids began to send themselves back and forth, back and forth. The glass cylinder began to sway and rock, causing the tubing to also sway and rock and pull from the machine.

The atmosphere inside to chamber grew overbearing, gas and energy rippled through the confined space.

"Hurry guys!" shouted Numbuh 0.3.

"I-I don't feel so good," Numbuh 0.5 moaned. A hand discreetly slid into hers, causing her to jump and look back over her left shoulder. There was Lenny, not looking at her and focused on rocking their prison, but his hand held hers tightly. Ogie smiled and went back to pushing against the glass walls, unknowing that that it would be the last time they held hands.

"We're almost there!"

"Um, sir?" an ice cream man asked Father meekly.

"What is it?"

"I'm monitoring the machine's readings and I think you need to see something," he said, motioning to a set of monitors. Father went over and took in the diagnostics.

He froze, his yellow eyes grew wide before snapping to his hostage test subjects. "They're messing with the machine's output," said Father. "At this rate the machine will short circuit and kill them!"

"What should we do, sir?"

"STOP THAT MACHINE! I want them alive!"

"You heard the man!" the ice cream men shouted and ran for the machine, but the terminal shook violently. Smoke began streaming from behind the plated sides as lights flashed and popped.

"We can't stop it, sir!"

"OUT! EVERYBODY OUT!" commanded Father. The ice cream men were all too willingly to obey. Sector Z's grunts of effort grew to a cry and then morphed into screams of pain as the energy poured out and grew and consumed.

"aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Father ran out of the room and slammed the door shut just as an ear-deafening KABOOM exploded on the other side. The door shuddered against the violent force until everything was still.

He opened the door slowly; its now fragile frame creaked with the smallest amount of force. The lights had gone out through the whole house and smoke billowed throughout the den like a haze hovering above the floor.

"Someone get these lights on."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

Father held up a fireball in his hand to produce light until the circuit breaker was fixed. His desk had been turned over, papers drifted in the air as office supplies were carelessly scattered across the floor. He turned to the machine and saw that it was lost, the entire top of it twisted and destroyed. Wires were frayed and what glass wasn't melted was strewn across the floor in shards.

But Sector Z? The lights finally blinked on and Father had it ordered that all the lamps and overhead lights be turned on. The den was completely seeable, and yet Father couldn't see Sector Z. At the foot of the machine was a pile of small bodies dressed in matching uniforms.

For the girls, a white dress with light blue sashes and pinks ribbons. The boys were in designer blue suits, complete with tie. One of the boys's had his face wrapped in a giant retainer.

"Are they—" Father muttered to himself, pulling out his pipe and tapping the blonde girl with the side of his shoe.

In unison, their heads shot up and the children were immediately at his throat. They threw Father backward and together were able to wrap their hands around his mid-section, holding the crazy man off the floor and against the wall.

But he didn't flare in anger, he didn't protest. Father laughed.

"Excellent!" he cheered. The children panted in uneven rhythms, yet still together in unison. Every move they made was together. Even their thoughts were together.

"What?" They asked and froze, realizing that their words were also together.

"What… happened?" they asked.

"My children," Father started. The five children blinked simultaneously and slowly set the black clad adult down.

"F-Father," they stammered, taking a shaky step backward.

"My perfect children. My perfect, delightful children," Father smiled cruelly. "We are going to do great things together. Together we will destroy the Kids Next Door!" And he once again began to laugh, a dark, maniacal bellow. The delightfulized children began to chuckle too, but soon rose to a great cackle like Father's. Father stopped and gazed down at his children's empty, blue eyes. Eyes empty of child-like wonder, of fun and hope.

"My perfect family."


	20. Epilogue

**What Happened to Sector Z**

**A/N: So here we are friends… the end of an adventure. I hope you all enjoyed the ride and thank you for hanging with me as we say our farewells to Sector Z. Thanks you for the reviews from: Raining Thieves, !NatsuBlueCyan789, numbuh435spiritsong, Eric Cartman forever, FrittzyCrazy, World 1000, Waterfall 13, dannyphantomandkndlover13, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Guest, White5, The Animanga Girl, Anne Onymous-Persson, JustADumbRabbit, and .**

**Sending my love and appreciation from here in the Spot.**

**~Pen**

* * *

><p><span>Epilogue <span>

She typed silently at the keyboard, the light of the monitor dim against the noonday light. The office around her was quiet except for the staccato sounds of her fingers tapping the rows of keys incessantly.

"… _perfect family…_ and done," she murmured, emphasizing her accomplishment with one last, loud tap.

The printer groaned from the effort of printing out the woman's handiwork, but with a violent tremor was able to spit out the hot paper into her hands. She proceeded to paperclip the stack of stationary neatly and let it slip gently into a manila envelope.

"Perfect," she mouthed and sealed the envelope before moving over to the P.A. microphone.

"Abigail Lincoln to the principals office, please," she announced. The woman busied herself with stacking papers and tidying up her desk as she waited for the young student to arrive in the office. Discreetly, she slid the manila envelope under the rest of the stack.

"Um… Ms. Midnight? You called?"

"Hello, Abby," Ms. Midnight looked up and smiled.

"Does the principal need to see me?"

"Oh, no dear. I think a little old secretary like me can do this." Ms. Midnight stood up and handed Abby the stack she had been fiddling with for the last few minutes. "This is that honor roll paperwork your parents need."

Abby grimaced and looked at the small stack of large envelopes.

"Give them to your parents and have them turn them in by next week."

"Uh… thanks Ms. Midnight. Numbuh 5'll make sure they get this," the ten year-old replied grimly and walked out of the office where she was met by her friends. Ms. Midnight smiled contently as she watched the group head off towards the cafeteria, laughing and jumping around.

"Those were the good ol' days," she sighed quietly before opening a drawer to her desk. Inside was a badge that she used to wear all the time, the weathered print read: _117_.

* * *

><p>Later in Sector V's tree house, Numbuh 5 was looking through her backpack when she came across those papers from earlier. The grimace was back.<p>

"No way Numbuh 5 wants to be on the honor roll, baby," she muttered grumpily and tossed the packet of papers over to her couch when something caught her eyes. A manila envelope slipped down from the couch to the floor.

At first Numbuh 5 was going to ignore it, but the lettering on the paper was what grabbed her attention. It was labeled: _To Sector Z_.

"Sector Z?" she mumbled to herself and picked up the envelope. Inside was a neat packet of papers, typed and ready for reading.

"_It was in the time of the tyranny of the evil adult Grandfather when one kid and his book stood up for all of kid-kind,__" she read out loud, eyes wide. "This is the legend of Numbuh 0!"_

Like a shot, Numbuh 5 took off and ran to the living room where she knew she would find one of her teammates. Hopeful Numbuh 1 was there too.

"Numbuh 1!" she hollered. In the living room were Numbuh's 2 and 4 playing video games and Numbuh 3 coloring.

"Oh, hey Numbuh 5," Numbuh 4 greeted.

"Have you guys seen Numbuh 1?"

"Uh… I think he's out with Lizzie," answered Numbuh 2.

"No, he went in his room," Numbuh 3 spoke up cheerily.

"Thanks," Numbuh 5 said and took off for her leader's room. Numbuh 2 watched her curiously.

"Wonder what that was about?"

Numbuh 5 quickly approached the door and rapped on the outer wood. "Numbuh 1? You there?"

The door opened and Numbuh 1's bald head stuck out. "What is it Numbuh 5? I'm busy with a project for—"

Before he could finish, Numbuh 5 stuck the papers in his face. "You're gonna want to see these."

The leader of Sector V frowned and snatched the papers away. His eyes moved back and forth speedily as he read the first few lines, but they eventually slowed down as it sunk in what exactly he was looking at.

"David?"

"David? Who's David?"

"If this is what I think it is… David was a member of Sector Z. One of the Delightful Children."

"What do you think it is?" asked Numbuh 5.

Numbuh 1 shook his head out of his reverie. A pit of excitement was growing steadily in his stomach and he knew he wouldn't be able to contain the gushing feeling for very long.

"Uh… get the other for an emergency meeting in the debriefing room. We're about to witness history!" he laughed and took off for the debriefing room. Numbuh 5 raised an eyebrow, but did as she was told.

"Guys, we're needed in the debriefing room!" she went back to the living room and called.

"Aww… roight now?! I'm just about ta—"

"There was a deafening blast and some wa wa wa music from the TV, causing Numbuh 4 to sink into the couch.

"I win again!" Numbuh 2 crowed victoriously.

"No fair! Rematch!" demanded Numbuh 4.

"Later!" Numbuh interrupted and pulled the plug to the TV. "Numbuh 1 needs us in the debrief."

"What's so important?" asked Numbuh 2.

"Numbuh 5's not sure yet, but I'm sure Numbuh 1'll explain. C'mon."

The rest of the sector picked themselves up and followed to the debrief room and took their places on the circular couch that faced the podium. Numbuh 1 was at his usual spot on the podium, flipping through the pages of his newfound treasure.

"Whatcha looking at Numbuh 1?" Numbuh 3 asked curiously.

"Excellent question, Numbuh 3. This here," he held up the book of papers, "is the key to part of Kids Next Door history."

"History?! You interrupted mah game for some cruddy history?!" Numbuh 4 cried indignantly.

"Not just any history, Numbuh 4. This is the story of the Delightful Children from Down the Lane."

His team was silent. "The Delightful Dorks? Why would someone write about them?" asked Numbuh 2.

"I'm not totally sure about that, Numbuh 2. But from what I can see of this story, this is what happened before they were delightfulized… when they were Sector Z. And I want to read it out loud before adding it to our archives."

Numbuhs 2-5 exchanged looks until Abby readjusted her hat and spoke up. "Well… what are ya waiting for? Numbuh 5 says go ahead and read."

Numbuh 1 smirked and flipped to the first page. "_It was in the time of the tyranny of the evil adult Grandfather when one kid and his book stood up for all of kid-kind," __he read out loud.__ "That day marked the start of the seventh age of the Kids Next Door, but there were still more secrets left to tell…"_

_~End~_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: Alright, now for some explanations if anyone is confused. Ms. Midnight (aka Numbuh 117) was the prize for MidniteCurse4Eternity winning the Operation U.N.I.T.E.'s contest and her prize was to have her character guest star in What Happened to Sector Z. But, being me, I've basically hijacked her character and turned her into the catalyst for the whole fanfic.**_

_**And why does she still remember if she's an adult? If anyone has read Operation U.N.I.T.E., I have a head cannon where Soopreme Leaders don't have their memories erased (unless they were a really REALLY bad kid). **_

_**So now you know. **_


End file.
